


Omega Note

by ChildOfSolace



Category: Beck: Mongolian Chop Squad
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-06-13 19:11:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 60,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15371406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChildOfSolace/pseuds/ChildOfSolace
Summary: A, B, O Dynamics. Post-Greatful Sound. Koyuki had just presented as Omega while reforming Beck. He's just adjusting to it when they started their American tour. Just when he was slowly becoming accustomed to being an Omega, a new development surfaces.





	1. Prologue

**Some facts about my version or other versions of Omegaverse (I am making this since I don't really have a full grasp on the Omegaverse facts and wanted to make my own spin-off in some given facts of the Omegaverse. But feel free to skip through and go to the story if you wish. Just skip through all the bolded words, you will see three line breaks indicating where the story starts):**

**-If there are two Alphas in a pack, the way to decide the head Alpha varies. If the Alphas are in good terms, they can talk simply talk through it with the rest of the pack present. If not, they obviously fight for the position. In most situations, the Alpha that lost may even have the choice to leave but that depends on how much his pride is broken.**

**-Omegas before presenting will not always show obvious characteristics of an Omega such as being clingy or touch-starved, maternal, nurturing, and in need of protection. Sometimes, friends of the Omega may be surprise by the change of character. Their tastes and preference of people may change as well. (Like in Koyuki's case, being attracted to Maho. But once he presented, he had no qualms in breaking up because Omegas would usually go for someone more capable of protecting them and it's uncommon that an Omega would be dominant in a relationship.)**

**-Betas (whether male or female) can get pregnant or impregnate, but the chances are just very slim. As far as I know from what I read in other versions, Betas can usually only reproduce with each other. Or, a Beta female can be impregnated by an Alpha or another Beta but a male Beta cannot be impregnated and cannot impregnate an Omega. In other words, Betas to Betas, their fertility is same as in the normal world but only for male and female. For male to male or female to female, the fertility is rare if both parties are betas.**

**-In my version, the only pairings that cannot reproduce together is Alphas to Alphas and Omegas to Omegas, regardless of their primary genders. Other match ups are able to reproduce, but the fertility degrees vary.**

**Alpha x Omega**

**(Male and Female) - Extreme fertility  
** **(Female and Female) - Great fertility  
**(Male and Male) - Good fertility****

**Alpha x Beta**

**(Male to Female) - Great fertility  
** **(Female to Female) - Good fertility  
**(Male to Male) - Average fertility****

**Beta x Omega**

**(Male to Female) - Great fertility  
**(Female to Female) - Weak fertility  
**(Male to Male) - Weak fertility** ****

**-In regards to Packs, there are two types. The Casual pack and the Family pack.**

**For Casual packs, they simply appoint a Head Alpha and follow his or her lead. But there is still a choice to leave it. The ties of the Casual pack is not as strong and can be broken by petty or serious arguments.**

**For Family packs, the ties are stronger and it is rare for any member who would wish to leave it. The loyalties are greater. If one member is lost, the pain felt is mutual and great. The ways to lose a member is either by death which the pack will mourn for many months, or if the member choose to leave the pack for another. In this case, the Head Alpha of the new pack the member wishes to transfer to must make a vow to take care of the member and keep the former pack updated of anything that happens related to member. A person can change its family pack only once so it is a big decision to make. The Head Alpha of a family pack usually bites each of his or her members on the wrist of each member, except for the Head Alpha's mate, where he or she would bite their scent gland to signify that they have bonded. The only thing stronger the a Family Pack bond is a Mating bond. So in this case, the Maternal Head, or the Alpha's mate usually plays the role of the second-in-command, regardless of secondary gender.**

**It is to be noted that family Packs are not the domestic type where there are parents and children roles. And it is not necessary that everyone belongs to one. It is a group's decision to form a family pack, and their are no strict laws about going to court or holding a ceremony to go through a Family pack bonding. It can be done in the privacy of the Alpha Head's home.**

**-An Omega's nest is like a habitat. Omegas' Nests would usually be built either to keep them comfortable or to set the mood for mating. In other versions, it's like as mentioned in Puppylover's explanation in deviantart (A nest is usually a place where an Omega can be comfortable, whether if he is in heat or just having a bad day. It can be a closet or a couch, a small room or a bed. It will usually be filled with soft things, the most smelling like his/her mate if they have one. It usually makes them feel comfortable in all times, even if they feel they are about to murder someone. With Omegas being the small fragile creatures they are, it can help them rest. As they get closer to their delivery date, they will most likely spend more and more time in their nest with their Alpha.) They can get really territorial of their nest. If they have a Mate, even their Mate needs permission before touching it unless the Omega made it for mating specifically.**

**\- An Omega drop is something that happens to Omegas when they are stressed or extremely upset, their minds become clouded and they can't think for themselves. If left unattended, it could be deadly.**

**-The sweat gland is the most sensitive part of an Alpha, Omega, and Beta's body. Licking or caressing it depending on the situation can either having a calming or arousing effect.**

**-In my version, ruts and heats usually happen for one week every month. Think of it like a female's menstrual cycle. After four months though, Alphas and Omegas won't experience their cycles for that fifth month and the next will come the month after, or the sixth month and the first one of the four months cycle. (If you still don't get it, look at the calendar. Imagine having a cycle for one week in the month of May, then another cycle in June, July and August. But for the month of September, you're free from that work. But you would be wary when October (sixth month) comes, because your cycle would start again and for the next three months [November, December, January].)**

**-A Puppy pile is basically when a pack cuddles altogether in either a cramp or spacious room with the purpose of comforting an Omega or a number of Omegas within the pack. It gives their Omegas a sense of safety and comfort.**

**The story starts onward. Enjoy! Fixed. I added the information of the schedule of the tour consideration heats and rut schedules of the band members. And now it became a half-year tour instead of fifty days. But that's about it.**

**──────────────────────────────────────────────────**

** Prologue **

Koyuki is what people would consider a _late bloomer_.

When he graduated Middle School, he was the only one of his class that hasn't presented yet. Even Tanabe managed to present as beta before the year was up.

Koyuki saw this with pros and cons. Con, he was once again different and set apart from his classmates. Then again, pro; His one real friend, Saku, hadn't presented either. He kept expecting him to present at the last minute, maybe even during the graduation ceremony. But no, true to what he said before, Saku never did went with what was popular that even his A, B, O genes delayed their presenting. He did present as beta though when they started High school.

Another pro, Koyuki didn't have to worry about A, B, O dynamics just yet.

Now it's been months since they performed in _Greatful Sound_ and since they've all seen Ryusuke. Like a lone wolf, the alpha went off on his own right after. He didn't even say good bye.

There wasn't any real hard feelings between them, but _Beck_ did break up after that. It was their mentality, after all, that _It was all or nothing._ That they give their all in every performance or not perform at all.

It was all of them playing in _Beck_ , or none of them at all.

Koyuki did play in a band, as a request from their classmate, while Saku watched but he never really intended on being an official member. Even when Sykes had offered him a record deal to go solo, and a cool guitar, it wasn't hard for him to reject it.

Koyuki only wanted play in and for _Beck_ , and _Beck_ alone.

Koyuki felt down, but he tried not to act up too much. He wanted to respect everyone's decision and gave them space. That didn't stop him from trying to get the band back together. It had been tricky. Chiba wouldn't come back, Taira wouldn't come back if it wasn't all five of them in and Saku may come back from moving away if the band was reformed. No one knew where Ryusuke was, even Maho hadn't been completely sure, only that he was most probably okay.

It had been hard saying good bye to Saku when he moved away, he made school life a whole lot easier. So when Koyuki felt weird that night, he thought maybe he was just being overly emotional, because he really wanted the band back together but everyone seemed to be going off their own path. He passed out as soon as he got back to his bedroom, literally. He didn't even make it to the bed when he felt hot and just dropped to the floor. Koyuki assumed he was out too long and came down with a fever.

But at the following day, he presented as an omega.

**──────────────────────────────────────────────────**

Koyuki had no idea how to feel about being an omega. He'd always been an awkward, unsure, timid bordering introversion tendencies, boy growing up with nothing remarkable to note, except for his association to _Beck_ , so he always thought he'd turn out to be a beta. He didn't have a clue how to handle the expected attention he was getting from alphas whenever he walked outside now. As much as possible, he went where there were many people, preferably omega or beta types. He was relieved when Chiba finally started considering coming back to Beck. So now he could go watch Taira's gigs and his Live Shows without worrying about being defenseless when he gets jumped at. Of course, Koyuki didn't expect that he'd have to be protected from him, too.

It happened when they spoke to Taira after the show.

Koyuki felt odd and weird so bad after the show that he wanted to head on home, but he had to try convincing the bleached blond bassist again. Paid for his efforts, Taira assured him that he would come back to _Beck_ if all five of them were in and after wrapping up the promotional tour he had with his current band.

Koyuki was ecstatic, even though Ryusuke was a big question mark, he had confidence in the alpha that he'd show up when they needed him most. All he had to do was contact Saku. And Chiba was just right there.

Speaking of...

Just before Koyuki could celebrate, he felt a wave of heat course through his body, he dropped to the ground, and started to feel really horny. Taira and Maho widened their eyes, realizing what was going down, being Omegas themselves.

Chiba's eyes dilated, nostrils flaring, taking in Koyuki's scent and he let out an animalistic growl. He went for the pounce. But Taira swung his bass case and knocked the alpha off to the side while Maho crouched down near Koyuki all the while calling for the cops. Not to press charges to make Chiba do time, because he's a friend and it was just baser instinct acting up, but they needed the man power to fight off the alpha or any others, and a ride to get Koyuki home. What Koyuki learned at that moment? Heat was the worse time for omegas especially without a mate, he almost wanted Chiba to actually fuck him then.

Good thing for Maho and Taira.

**──────────────────────────────────────────────────**

Chiba apologized profusely the next time they saw and treated him to free ramen his father made. Koyuki was a little reluctant to accept it. He didn't do anything and it wasn't entirely his fault that he went and acted that way. Like always, Koyuki just had the worse luck.

But maybe not completely.

It took a while, but as some people say, better late than never. _Beck_ was reformed. Taira quit his previous band, as promised, Saku earned enough money to return to the area and Chiba still got his trademark energy to pump up people in their shows. Saku got himself disowned in his efforts to return though, but Taira immediately offered the beta a place to stay in his apartment with him. Koyuki did not miss the unmistakable blush on Saku's cheeks, and silently wished him luck in winning over the omega bassist.

No word from Ryusuke yet though.

Koyuki never doubted the alpha guitarist, but for some reasons, it wasn't enough to calm him down. He was really starting to miss Ryusuke.

Very much.

So when they were offered to accompany an official, professional band called _F.V.E._ on a very long tour in the United States to play as their opening act, Koyuki was all for it and was relieved the others agreed to it. Ryusuke may not be with them at the start, but they were going to where he was. There was a higher chance of meeting up with him there than waiting for the guy to come back to Japan.

Koyuki was just glad Taira was an omega, too and a strong one at that with good control on his instincts, and Saku, a beta. His mom may be cool and laid back about a lot of things, like letting him drop out of school so he can concentrate on music and the band. But ever since his first heat, she would never have allowed Koyuki travel to another country without a fellow omega. It was a plan that they'd always be booking two rooms and the omegas were strictly to room together.

Besides, someone had to be the main spokesperson. Since Ryusuke was off the grid, and Koyuki being the most capable in speaking English, they seriously needed him to come along. Not that they'd be much of _Beck Mongolian Chop Squad_ without him, anyway.

It had been an exciting experience. It was both Koyuki's first time riding a plane and going to another country. The lead vocalist of F.V.E., David Eric, picked them up from the Air port. He was a pretty nice and mellow guy, for an alpha. Or at least, so far that Koyuki met. Even Ryusuke had anger management issues, the younger omega could attest to that. He didn't like remembering that time when he accidentally broke the guitar Ryusuke lent him.

 _L.A._ Airport had looked like an UFO when they exited it, but the hotel they booked there had been the nicest one. It was probably due to Jetlag, but they couldn't get it together on their first performance night. Chiba sulked about it the most, but one would think that the only alpha of the group at the time would be able to hold it together more. But Chiba had always been honest with his feelings. When he was upset, he was upset. Wallowing in misery inside a washing machine was proof of that.

Taira had been tempted to turn it on, just for kicks.

They met other bands too, before they left _L.A._ and they were all pretty nice. Except when that drummer alpha had tried to move on to Taira's personal bubble, when the omega bassist had kept him off Koyuki's. In all honesty, Koyuki's never seen Saku so angry, even when he had slapped Hyodo. He forgot the drummer was only a beta at that moment, the other drummer definitely thought Saku had been an Alpha, the way he threatened him. Taira had been grateful still, needless to say. A kiss to the cheek showed that much. Koyuki didn't know what to be more surprised by.

That, or the fact that he saw Saku's eyes, wide with surprise.

**──────────────────────────────────────────────────**

After _L.A._ , _Beck_ practically lived inside a van the following days. They only booked hotel rooms now whenever Koyuki or Taira were nearing their heats, and if Chiba was in a rut. Usually, when members from either bands had their cycles, they would stay a week longer till it passed in that particular state. When it was _F.V.E._ 's members in the cycle, it just meant _Beck_ had more time for sight seeing. But it definitely wasn't a picnic when it was _Beck_ having their cycles. Thankfully, the agency _F.V.E._ belonged to made sure to give them equal treatment. The full payment of _Beck_ 's services may be coming when the tour ends, but the agency was gracious enough to double the allowance when the Heats and Ruts were going on for _Beck_ , for medications needed if any or other necessary items, like room service to bring in more pillows, in Koyuki's case.

Taira had actually been louder and more touch starved than Koyuki ever had been so far. Chiba slept at the van at those nights, deeming it safer that way, while the younger omega stayed and tried to help Taira as much as he could. He also wondered if Taira's horniness was due to the fact that he and Saku had started dating, if a mate, even an unofficial one, made an omega more needy. The beta drummer did lend the older male a shirt of his to get him through it, but he didn't expect it to be use for jacking off. Taira had been mortified when his Heat cycle had been over, and Koyuki thought Saku was gonna turn anemic from how his nose bled.

As for Chiba... They actually had to handcuff the alpha vocalist to his bed just to make sure he wouldn't go off and make unplanned babies. The omega in Koyuki shuddered, his instincts calling him to submit. Taira had been more mature and in control about it, since he's been an omega longer, and made sure Koyuki stayed clear of Chiba's practically quarantined room. Saku stayed in the room with Chiba to kept him fed and hydrated, although Taira worried cause while alphas usually went for the more fertile omegas, didn't mean they didn't go for betas. Saku had always been level headed, though, and rationally intuitive, knowing when to back off or prod on. Besides, someone had to look after the guy. He was still a vital member of _Beck_ as much as the rest of them were.

Needless to say, being an alpha or omega was hard. Saku's never realized how good he's got it till those nights, listening to the whining and growling.

The beta wish he could drown out the sounds by jamming on his drum set.

**──────────────────────────────────────────────────**

They continued their tour. They played with a band called _The Lizards_ and Koyuki had no clue if the blond they were jamming with was a guy or girl. Taira confirmed he was a dude when he ran into him at the rest room. They actually had more luck selling their CDs after playing with them.

The Live Shows were always awesome, even the one when they had to wear frog hats. Their favorite so far had been the one at Long beach. Koyuki just wished Ryusuke had been with them doing it. He was starting to miss him again, he ended up hugging his _Telecaster_ the guitar he and Ryusuke found together, during a show, much to his chagrin. In all their performances, they didn't really play any songs where Koyuki had to sing solo, he stuck with singing back up for Spice Of Life and Chiba's other main songs, along with Taira and Saku.

For the young omega, it just wasn't the same singing without Ryusuke there with his guitar, playing along. The band respected that, hell, they agreed with the sentiment.

Weeks into the tour, they were starting to get used to practically living inside the van. Although at times, they were still pissed with having to deal with it, like when they had to pay to repair a flat tire. By the time they got a move on, it was getting pretty late. Still, it did give them a chance to appreciate a beautiful cloudy sky scenery. Once again, Koyuki wished Ryusuke had been around to see it.

Another development with Taira and Saku occurred when they encountered a lot of band members lining up to jam with the omega bassist. Taira was never one to disappoint, so he jammed with them. Something about them being mostly alphas struck a nerve in Saku. They had a little spat about jealousy and insecurity. Koyuki and Chiba stayed out of the van as they talked. Honestly, the young omega never thought he'd see the day that Saku would be discontented with himself, or more to the point, his presentation.

"I'm gonna meet more people, hell, if we're trying to be famous, we both will! You're gonna have to deal if you want to make us to work."

"Of course I want us to work. I just... You're this awesome, talented omega musician, and you look like you're more suited with alphas..."

"Yeah, LOOK. That's the keyword."

"... And I'm just a beta drummer with no real training."

"You're an awesome drummer for being self-taught, Saku." Taira sighed. " ABO genes has got nothing to do with talent. So your presentation doesn't matter as far as being a musician is concerned."

"But it does matter when it comes to relationships." Saku interjected. Taira blinked at the dejected tone he was not used to hearing from the beta. "All I could do was stand and watch as alphas flocked you. It's not so bad since they were just being friendly, but what if they weren't? I may be able to handle one, but a pack? You deserve a better guy to look after you."

Taira rubbed his forehead, before placing a hand on the beta's shoulder. "Hey, I'm not just any omega. Hear me?" He said insistently. "I've been working on being independent and to not simply submit to just about any alpha, or beta, ever since presenting. So I wouldn't be letting baser instincts be the one deciding who I wanted to mate with."

Saku looked hopeful. "Who you wanted... To mate with?"

"You got it, Yuji." Taira smirked, planting a kiss on his forehead. "I won't let baser instincts decide that it's you I want to mate with. It's just more real that way, you know?"

Saku blushed, but his smile was wider than it's ever been. "Yoshi..."

Koyuki and Chiba went back to the Live House and ended up crashing on the chairs for the night. It was pretty safe, since Koyuki just finished a cycle last week. The following day, they were only slightly surprised to find that Taira and Saku had officially bonded. Well, Koyuki was slightly surprised. Chiba being Chiba had no clue they were dating, let alone that they were, in fact, having a lover's spat. So he freaked a bit. _F.V.E._ gave them a day off; they sure needed it.

Koyuki and Chiba, for sleeping on foldable chairs.

Taira and Saku, for... Other activities.

**──────────────────────────────────────────────────**

Their tour went on. Making it to New York, eating hot dogs, playing at the _CBGB_ , then off to _Texas_ , _San Francisco_ , and at last _Seattle_ , where things got real interesting.

And that wasn't just due to the jumping fish at the _Pike Place Market_ or the _Space Needle_.

On September 18, Jimi Hendrix's death anniversary, they got a letter from Ryusuke.

After seeing Jimi Hendrix's statue and Chiba having the dream that night at last, they went to pay respects at the deceased musician's grave. That's when Beck and a dog, that looked slightly similar to him called Keith, came running towards them.

And Ryusuke finally showed up.

The alpha guitarist had a laid back, cocky smirk when he appeared. Saku took a picture, figuring it was Kodak moment worthy. Koyuki felt filled with indescribable happiness and smiled as if he was seeing Sun and stars for the first time.

Little did he know he was exuding hormones. Taira blinked, staring at the younger omega, having an inkling what it meant. Chiba caught the scent and moved away from Koyuki, not wanting to be given to his baser instincts with the boy again, he had no idea what caused it unlike Taira. Saku didn't have much of an acute sense of smell that an alpha or omega had, but he caught a little of the scent. He raised a brow.

From where he stood, Ryusuke caught the scent, and he widened his eyes a fraction, realizing while he'd been gone, Koyuki had presented. The alpha had always thought he found Koyuki appealing, but now that he's officially presented, as an omega, no less...

"Oh. Fuck me."

Koyuki finally noticed his friends staring at him. He blinked at all of them, confused. Shouldn't they be more surprised of Ryusuke showing up?

"What?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Canon compliant. So a little spoilers. But..
> 
> Disclaimer.
> 
> I do not own Beck, Tanaka Yukio, Minami Ryusuke, Minami Maho, Taira Yoshiyuki, Sakurai Yuji, or Chiba.


	2. Extra: FIRST NIGHT

It took a while, but as some people say, better late than never.

 _Beck_ was reformed. Taira quit his previous band, as promised, Saku earned enough money to return to the area and Chiba still got his trademark energy to pump up people in their shows. Saku got himself disowned in his efforts to return though, but Taira immediately offered the beta a place to stay in his apartment with him. Koyuki did not miss the unmistakable blush on Saku's cheeks, and silently wished him luck in winning over the omega bassist.

"Come on in Saku," Taira insisted as he flipped the light switch open of his apartment unit. "You can dump your stuff anywhere. Make yourself comfortable while I lay down an extra futon."

Saku laid his stuff down as told. "Oh, I can help. I'd hate to be a free-loader."

Saku followed the blond further back in only to see that the blond was already half-naked. He flushed and immediately looked away. Sure, he was used to Taira going shirtless since he does that in almost all their shows. But seeing his crush without his shirt and clad in nothing else but boxers was a bit too much. He was glad he wasn't an alpha, he'd smell Taira too well and his pheromones would scent the apartment, and that would be mortifying. Not that he had any more a chance with the omega even if he now lived with him.

"Nah, I got it. If you want, you could dial up the pizza place for dinner. Classic peppero... Huh?" Taira saw Saku turning red to the tips of his ears. "Saku, you don't have a fever, do you?"

"Huh, what?"

"You're kinda red, man."

"Oh, uh. Yeah, I'm fine, uh so... Pizza? G-Got it." Saku got out his phone.

Taira smirked. If it wasn't a fever, it was probably that other reason. Saku really was adorable. Even more so because of the fact that the young beta probably still thinks that the blond had no idea that the former he had a thing for him. He definitely saw that the young beta had blush when he offered his place to stay. He was just glad Koyuki was the only other one who seemed to catch it. Chiba wouldn't shut up about it if noticed it, too. If anything else, he wanted Saku to come out to him on his own. He decided to put on a tank top, at least, to have mercy on Saku's hormones.

"Thanks, you order another flavor, too, if you want. Since you're moving in, let's make a date of it." Taira went back to setting up the futon.

Saku widened his eyes and ended up almost dropping his phone. "Uh, wha–what? Huh?"

Taira chuckled, but before he could respond, loud knocking came from the door. "Who's there?" He called out instead.

"Open up, Taira! We need to talk!"

Taira groaned and face palmed. Saku looked at him, concerned.

"You can't just keep flipping me off!"

"Not again..."

"What's wrong, Taira?"

The knocking came harder. "The hell?! Is another guy in there?! Open this door!"

"Sorry about this, Saku. Just hold on a sec," The blond went towards the door. "Fumi, you asshole. You gotta learn how to read signals and fuck off."

A sturdy built red head was on the other side of the door. Saku smelled that he was an alpha and did not like the mood he was reading.

"Like hell I'm doing that! You blew me off for a month, and you never answer my calls. Is that how you treat your boyfriend?"

Saku widened his eyes. He had no idea that Taira was dating someone... Or had been dating, as the case may seemed.

"Ugh, this is what I mean by signals... Fumi, I can't even call you an ex-boyfriend because we were never going out!" Taira exasperated. "Look, that night with Togo in the karaoke bar, we were just hanging, okay? We had a few drinks, we made out, and that's it. That's all the fuck that happened, we aren't exclusive."

"Bullshit."

Taira glared at him. "Yeah, you are. Look, I have someone over now so you're gonna have to leave." He tried closing the door on him but Fumi stuck his foot in. "What the shit. Fumi, you need to learn to take a hin—"

The blond was interrupted when Fumi pressed their lips together and shoved his tongue into Taira's throat. Taira widened his eyes before placing his hands on the guy's chest, attempting to push him off. Just because he was an omega didn't mean he would let an alpha dominate him. But his ideals still went against biology. Taira felt himself slowly submitting. He gave a good fight before the alpha got him down to his knees and cornered to a wall. Taira coughed, trying to catch his breath. Which, unfortunately, gave Fumi the time to free up his cock. Taira widened his eyes.

"Oh hell no!" Taira tried moving away to the side.

Fumi held the blond's head in place. "Blow me, you slut."

Taira grimaced, eyeing the pulsing organ in horror. Before the unimaginable could happen, the alpha got knocked away when Saku threw a punch.

"Yeah, come quick." Saku spoke to his phone, helping Taira up and standing in front. All the while glaring at the alpha. "Apartment building A, unit 206. Masakado corner."

Fumi wiped the blood off his lip, glaring daggers at the two. "You fucker, you called the cops?"

"They'll be here in five minutes, giving you time to either make more of a scene here so you can do more time or take off. Either way works for me." Saku growled. "So, how do you want to deal?"

Fumi looked like he wanted to murder the beta but decided jail time wasn't worth it. "Fuck you, he wasn't worth crap anyway."

Saku closed the door roughly behind him.

"Thanks Saku," Taira sighed, wiping his mouth, as if that could erase the kiss. "You didn't have to call the cops just to get him out, though."

Saku shrugged. "I didn't, I called Chiba." He smirked. "When he finds him, that jerk is gonna wish I called the cops instead."

"Wow," Taira chuckled. "Well, that bastard's gonna deserve what's coming to him. It's gonna be a pain giving Chiba the deets later though." He looked at Saku and only then did he notice the bruised cheek. He blinked. "How did you get that?"

Saku looked confused till Taira gestured to his cheek. "Oh, I tried pulling him off and he got me with his elbow, I don't think he even noticed that he did." He smiled awkwardly. "Guess a beta's no good a back up for an omega. That's why I decided to call Chiba. The hit didn't even leave a mark on him."

Despite how he tried to play it nonchalantly, Taira didn't miss how Saku looked dejected. He smiled a bit, shaking his head. "Hey," he placed a hand on the beta's shoulder. "I would appreciate a back up from you any day of the week." he pressed a chaste kiss to Saku's hurt cheek. "I'd go for you any day than any mindless, hormone-driven alpha." He winked. "But don't tell Chiba I said that. So, let's have that pizza." He picked up his phone. "Oh, one more thing. I know I said you can stay until can find your on apartment, but really, you can just stay and be an official room mate. It can be a little lonely with just me."

Saku turned beet red and felt a little better of himself. And he thought maybe, just maybe, he did have a chance with Taira after all.


	3. Extra: Bonded

Koyuki and Chiba we're just finishing up with loading up the van with their equipments when Taira and Saku finally showed up. Before either of them could greet the two, Koyuki noticed that something was wrong.

"I told you Taira-kun, it's nothing so just never mind, okay?" Saku grumbled, a sound the drummer rarely ever made.

Taira huffed irritably. "You're calling me with honorifics suddenly and claim there's nothing bugging you? Bullshit, _Saku_." he hissed. "We're talking about this!"

Koyuki winced, feeling even a knife can't be enough to cut this tension. Chiba was about to say something when Taira immediately snapped at him to _Stay out of it_.

"Uh, uhm," Koyuki spoke up. Taira glared at him too, but when the younger omega whimpered at the expression, the blond softened his expression and allowed him to talk. "I... Taira, uhm, I think you guys should discuss this in private."

Taira sighed, realizing they were out in the open at the parking lot. He slid the van door opened and without giving him time to protest, he pulled Saku before slamming the door closed and locking it.

Koyuki and Chiba gaped.

"Damn it, Koyuki, why'd you have to say that? Now we've got to wait out here for god knows how long."

"I meant that they should talk about it back in the hotel or something!"

****

****

──────────────────────────────────────────────────

Taira got Saku cornered giving him no choice but to explain himself. It pissed Taira off to learn that he was acting up just because a lot of people who happened to be alphas were chatting him up and taking turns to jam with him.

"I'm gonna meet more people, hell, if we're trying to be famous, we both will! You're gonna have to deal if you want to make things between us to work."

"Of course I want us to work. I just... You're this awesome, talented omega musician, and you look like you're more suited with alphas..."

"Yeah, _LOOK_. That's the keyword."

"... And I'm just a beta drummer with no real training."

"You're an awesome drummer for being self-taught, Saku." Taira sighed. "ABO genes has got nothing to do with talent. So your presentation doesn't matter as far as being a musician is concerned."

"But it does matter when it comes to relationships." Saku interjected. Taira blinked at the dejected tone he was not used to hearing from the beta. "All I could do was stand and watch as alphas flocked you. It's not so bad since they were just being friendly, but what if they weren't? I may be able to handle one, but a pack? You deserve a better guy to look after you."

Taira rubbed his forehead, before placing a hand on the beta's shoulder. "Hey, I'm not just any omega. Hear me?" He said insistently. "I've been working on being independent and to not simply submit to just about any alpha, beta, or omega ever since presenting. So I wouldn't be letting baser instincts be the one deciding who I wanted to mate with."

Saku looked hopeful. "Who you wanted... To mate with?"

"You got it, Yuji." Taira smirked, planting a kiss on his forehead. "I won't let baser instincts decide that it's you I want to mate with. It's just more real that way, you know?"

Saku blushed, but his smile was wider than it's ever been. "Yoshi..."

Their lips gravitated towards each other before finally locking into their first kiss.

****

──────────────────────────────────────────────────

Chiba and Koyuki were getting restless, so they decided to hang out at the _Live House_. Koyuki texted Saku to tell them where they were and give him a signal if it was okay to come back, he was sure Saku might not be able to read it until the talk with Taira was over though. Good thing there were some people left so they made small talk and took some pictures. But eventually, they were the only two left. Since they both went through their cycles already this month, they didn't have a problem being alone with just the two of them.

"Chiba, do you think they'll be able to work it out?"

"Heeeh?" The alpha had been busy bringing chairs together so he can lie down on them. "Saku and Taira? Yeah, they'll be cool. Ryusuke and I had worse spats, so I don't think they'll be leaving the band for something petty."

Koyuki frowned, while that was also a concern that really wasn't what he meant. Plus, Ryusuke and Chiba didn't really have the same relationship troubles Saku and Taira were having.

"They just better kiss and make up already because damn I'm about ready to crash."

****

──────────────────────────────────────────────────

"Is this okay, Yoshiyuki?" Saku asked gently, pumping Taira's erection, precum seeping out. "Am I doing it right?"

The omega winced, grasping Saku's shoulders firmly. "God, Yuji, yes..." he gasped out. "the only thing you're doing wrong is starting while we're both still fully clothed, I'm so fucking hot and not the right kind."

"Eh? B-but... You really sure you want me to..."

The omega was getting impatient, and started to take the Beta's shirt off by actually ripping it.

"Y-Yoshi!"

"Damn it, Yuji, we already talked about it. I am sure I want you to claim me, got it?" Taira actually started whinning. "Please fuck me already..."

Saku widened his eyes at the vulgar phrasing, but also very much turned on. He pounced the omega, which was little bit awkward since Taira was taller and older. He got the blond off his clothes. Taira tugged on the beta's jeans.

"Show me you, too."

Saku smiled, removing Taira's hands and bringing it up to his lips. "We'll get to that, for now, let me make you feel good." he hugged the blond before sitting them both upright, and he started pumping again. Taira moaned in pleasure, which got louder when the Beta started licking his sweat gland.

"Oh shit, fuck..." Taira gasped, every part of his body feeling flushed. "Y-Yuji, it's too good, fuuuck, stop...I'm so close... I'm gonna c-cum..." he whined which turned to sharp gasp when the Beta gripped his cocked to prevent release. "What the... Ah! That hurts, let go, Yuji, lemme c-come..."

Saku stroked the omega's cheeks. "Hush, you'll come when I say so, understood? This time, I'm leading and you're submitting."

Taira widened his eyes. Saku never really argued and tried dominating him even though that was basically one of an omega's main roles. He respected Taira's beliefs and even encouraged them, which was one of the reasons the blond fell for the beta. But he had to admit, that was an incredible turn on. For an omega, there was a certain degree of pleasure it submitting to their mates to satisfy them. It made it better that Saku wasn't an alpha, so it's not the thrill of being able to dominate that got him aroused but the fact the he was getting Taira himself to submit.

Saku used the hand not gripping Taira's cock to grope the omega's chest while he continued to lick at the omega's sweat gland, purposely letting his teeth graze it teasingly. Taira whimpered, tears pooling in his eyes. The sensations mixed with the prevention of release made it almost unbearable. It was painful, sure, but the pleasure was just as intense, maybe even more.

But Taira was nearing limit.

"You're so wet, Yoshiyuki," Saku chuckled. "we haven't really even done anything yet."

Taira huffed in annoyance. "Fuck y—ahh!" he moaned when Saku pinched his nipple, he started crying, the pain of unreleased was starting to become bothersome. "Yu-Yuji, please... Stop teasing already... L-let me come, I want to co-"

The beta didn't wait for him to finish as he finally bit down on the omega's sweat gland, marking him at last. At the same time, he let go of the blond's pulsing cock.

Taira widened his eyes and let out a high shrill, from the mixture of pain and pleasure of being marked and cumming all at once. He was spent, leaning back to lie down when Saku wrapped his arms around the waist. Taira leaned his head to the beta's shoulder, eyes a little out of focus as Saku licked the pierced area, tasting the mixture of the omega's sweat and blood.

"Yuji... That was... Wow..." The blond wrapped his arms around the Beta. He felt something probing his naked stomach, when he looked down he saw the tent Saku was pitching.

Taira smirked before lowering his face, when he was face to face with it, he gave the beta a devious look. Saku swallowed thickly, his anticipation fueling his arousal. He let out a sharp gasp when he saw his omega unzipping his pants with just his teeth. The beta was so embarrassed when his cock just popped out and smacked his omega in the face. He was about to apologized when Taira went ahead and started licking the tip. He ran his tongue teasingly through the slit, kissing it before finally taking it in.

"Oh my god..." Saku gasped, instinctively holding on to the blond's head. "Yoshiyuki... god, your tongue is... ah..." Taira only went faster, "Ah, fuck..." he cursed, which made Taira stop, since the beta hardly ever cursed. But he found the arousing, too, and continued. "Shit, Yoshi, I'm close, so close... I'm gonna cum in your mouth, oh god..."

Taira wasn't having that. He immediately pulled back.

"Wha...What... Why'd you sto..."

"You're not coming in my mouth until you've come inside my other hole first," The omega smirked. Saku widened his eyes and suddenly got real nervous. But there were reasons he loved Taira, not just the Omega in him. "But since neither of us is really prepared to go there yet..." The blond pressed their bodies together, or more importantly, pressed their cocks together.

Saku gasped at the heat, he embraced Taira with one arm, using the other to reach for the omega's ass. He started fingering his hole. Taira moaned in pleasure, and Saku used that opportunity to kiss his omega and explore his mouth with his tongue. Taira was pushing down on the digits for more friction at this point. To prevent it from being one-sided, Taira took both their cocks and started to rub them together.

It wasn't much long till they both climaxed and passed out, the b eta holding the omega close, never wanting to let go.

At the next day, they had to apologize profusely to both Koyuki and Chiba, having to explain themselves for why the van was... Well, a white mess. Needless to say, they were relieved they got the day off. Not only do they need to work out their kinks from not having slept on more appropriate bedding...

Nobody wanted to stay inside the van until the inside was, in a matter of speaking, aired out.


	4. Omega Down

They got back to the van, along with Ryusuke and his dogs.

Koyuki never did find out why the others had stared at him weirdly. They all found out, however, what Ryusuke's been up to for months. Although the alpha guitarist claimed he never intended to get involve with Leon Sykes again, they only half believed him. More like, he didn't necessarily plan to get involve, but he just didn't do a good job of avoiding it, either.

Koyuki was definitely glad he never did take that offer now more than ever. He had no idea Leon Sykes was a murderer all this time.

"Still, you're pretty lucky to be alive man." Taira patted his shoulder. "It's a pretty deep shit to be involved in."

Ryusuke smiled, before catching whiff of the omega bassist's scent. "Whoa dude, Taira," he blinked. "are you bonded?"

Taira and Saku turned red simultaneously.

"No shit." Ryusuke smirked at the reactions of the bassist and drummer. "So does Saku let you go shirtless still? Or can betas be just as possessive as an alpha when bonded?"

"Dude," the bleach blond shook his head. "After months of being invisible, that's the first thing you ask me?"

Ryusuke laughed. "Well, it certainly seems like I've missed a lot." He said.

Chiba rolled his eyes. "No shit."

"Soo... Koyuki's an omega, Taira and Saku bonded and... Was Chiba lucky enough to get laid?"

Chiba glared at him and protested indignantly. "What the fuck is lucky enough suppose to even mean, huh?! You tryin' to pick a fight, you son of a bitch?!" He growled.

Ryusuke snickered. "I'll take that as a no." He said cockily. Then, his expression looked thoughtful for a while. "How about you, Koyuki?"

Taira watched Ryusuke curiously.

"Huh?" Koyuki blinked. "what about me?"

"Are you... With someone?"

Koyuki turned beet red and stumbled with his words. "Well... I did date Maho a bit but when I presented... Well, she wants biological kids someday. We got off on a clean break." He shrugged. "I'm pretty much still getting used to it."

Koyuki didn't notice Ryusuke letting out a relieved sigh.

"Well, enough about this shit." Chiba went to throw the newspaper with the _**LEON SYKES ARRESTED**_ Headline, but not before taking a picture of it. "We got a gig tonight at the _Crocodile Café_ and we gotta make sure Ryusuke's still got it."

Ryusuke scoffed. "Please, you just gotta worry about your singing." He said teasingly.

"WHADDYA SAY, PUNK?!"

The other three just laughed at the two's antics. It's been a while since they've seen the scene, it was refreshing.

"Well, I guess it's more like we gotta think about your playing and Koyuki's solo singing re-syncing with the rest of us." Saku pointed out. "It's been a while since hearing both, after all."

Taira placed a hand to his chin. "That's true. Then again, what's to worry about?" He smirked. "we do have our awesome chemistry."

"Yeah," Chiba snorted. "some more than others."

Taira rolled his eyes. "We did warn you." He said.

"Yeeeeah man... Lock the door next time, though. I did not need to see that."

Ryusuke was afraid to ask what they were talking about. But he did ask something else, though. "What do you mean by my playing and Koyuki's solo singing being a while since hearing both?" Ryusuke asked. "I get not hearing me, but Koyuki's been with you guys."

Koyuki looked a little embarrassed, laughing nervously and rubbing the back of his head. "About that..."

Ryusuke looked at him. "Koyuki?"

"Erm, yeah. I haven't sang _Face_ or _Slip Out_ since _Greatful Sound_." Koyuki smiled coyly, and that brought an extra pulse to Ryusuke's heart. "It wouldn't be the same without you, anyway."

Ryusuke swore Koyuki was trying to stir him up intentionally. He was suddenly envious of the recent bonded couple of the group.

Taira smirked. "This could get interesting."

Saku raised a brow at his mate.

Chiba crossed his arms and tapped his foot restlessly. "Okaaaay, so enough of the reunion stuff," he drawled. "Can we get to rehearsals?"

Everyone stared at Chiba at that point.

"Whoa man... Did that really just come out of your mouth?" Ryusuke asked in genuine shock. He even brought out his phone and went to audio recording. "Say it again."

"Ha ha, fucking funny." Chiba said sarcastically. "Let's go."

****

──────────────────────────────────────────────────

" _ **I can't express this emotion, this emotion in me.**_

_**I can't express this emotion, oh, will make my mind free~** _

_**I still remember when I got it in the time behind me,** _

_**One morning I held your hand and the rest is history...** _

_**C'mon! Let me talk to you, I've got a feeling in my head.** _

_**C'mon! Let me walk with you, I've got a feeling...**_ "

They started with the impromptu _Beatles_ plus _Dying Breed_ cover mix song from _Greatful Sound_ for Koyuki's vocal exercise.

Ryusuke was pretty sure he wasn't the only one thinking Koyuki's singing had seem odd from the usual. Not to be mistaken, the younger omega sang beautifully like he always had. But for some reasons, it seemed more mesmerizing and captivating. The alpha guitarist would've chalked it up to the fact that he was attracted to Koyuki anyway, but even Chiba and Saku seemed to be affected by it, too. And the latter was already fucking bonded, for crying out loud.

Only Taira didn't seem as put off about it as the rest of them were, so Ryusuke wondered if it was an omega thing. Koyuki had been pretty oblivious about it, though.

"Maybe it's just that we missed hearing it," Saku suggested when Koyuki went out to get a drink. "I got nostalgic when we first played _Spice Of Life_ again when the four of us reformed back in Japan. Plus now, we're playing with Ryusuke again."

Taira considered that. "It's possible." He agreed. "I felt the same that time, too."

"Surprise, surprise. You two are in sync." Chiba snorted.

"Dude, you gonna keep up that bitterness crap? You'll get your mate eventually." Taira rolled his eyes before snapping at Ryusuke. "Don't even think about razzing him, man."

Ryusuke smirked, but complied.

"But daaamn, this better be nostalgia." Chiba grunted. "I don't want my instincts having me jump him onstage like I almost did on his first heat."

Ryusuke froze at that, turning to Chiba. "What the fuck did you do to Koyuki?" He growled.

"Whoa, whoa, I said almost. Chillax, I feel bad about it enough. I would never want to hurt a bro, ma... Wait," Chiba stared at his fellow alpha. "Are you into Koyuki?"

Ryusuke's blush just about answered it all.

"Oh my shit! You are! You are fucking hot for Koyuki!" Chiba laughed.

Taira chuckled.

Saku blinked at the revelation.

Ryusuke scowled, about ready to tell him to fuck off, but then, the aforementioned omega returned to the room.

"What about being hot?" Koyuki asked innocently. "Should I ask the management if they can turn up the _AC_?"

Chiba grinned wickedly. "Sounds good, Koyuki!" He said. "You would especially be helping Ryusuke here cool down from being all hot and bothered."

Taira had to bit back a boisterous laughter, making himself snorting out laughs instead. Saku found that endearingly adorable. Ryusuke looked murderous and ended up smacking Chiba some.

Koyuki blinked. "Okay? So... Do you want the _AC_ turned up high or just slightly?" He asked.

"Don't bother," Ryusuke sighed, "we're about to go on in five anyway, so we gotta get on stage soon."

****

──────────────────────────────────────────────────

They started setting up the gear as people started filling into the room. Ryusuke was colored impressed. In the amount of time he was gone, _Beck_ had definitely made a name of themselves in America. He felt a little bad that he didn't do much to help it along, but Koyuki did tell him that news passed by word of mouth regarding _Beck_ having complete members now so that brought more numbers.

"Besides, you made this band. We wouldn't even be here if you hadn't." Koyuki told him.

Ryusuke shrugged. "It's not much starting up a band, making it last is the tricky part." He patted Koyuki's head once. "If you think about it, we're really here cause of you and your playing at _Greatful Sound_."

"Hmm... Yeah but it wasn't like I always knew how to play..." Koyuki placed his hand on the spot where Ryusuke patted. "That's also thanks to you, right?" He smiled up at him.

 _Damn_ , Ryusuke looked away so Koyuki wouldn't see his blush. _I wanna have this guy's babies_.

Koyuki raised a brow.

"Anyway," Ryusuke turned back to him. "how about we just agree that _Beck_ got here because of each of us?"

Koyuki chuckled. "Sure."

"Yo! You love birds done there?" Chiba called out. "We're about to go on."

Ryusuke cursed lowly.

Koyuki went red, going back to position.

The alpha guitarist sighed, shaking it off. "Hey Koyuki," he called out. "Let's start with _Slip Out_."

"Right." Koyuki nodded, smiling.

Ryusuke returned the smile. He started strumming and Saku got the beat going. He watched and waited expectantly, eagerly, for Koyuki to sing the song they both worked on. As soon as Koyuki hit the first note, Ryusuke felt captivated as he had been during rehearsals. Only now, it had been stronger.

Ryusuke blames sentimentality.

" _ **I don't know when I changed into such a cold, cold-hearted guy.**_

_**I have to thaw this frozen, icy, lonely heart of mine.** _

_**I like being wrapped with warmness more than anything else for sure.** _

_**I'm gonna take my coming days and fill them with laughter and joy~**_ "

Speaking of...

It wasn't that Ryusuke had a bad childhood. His days with Eddie Lee had been good ones. Still, they weren't always easy ones. But after meeting Koyuki, he's never seen his world brighter or felt any happier. Granted, he wasn't always into the kid. He found him amusing at best with the way Beck and him had first got on, and he thought of him least during the whole guitar fiasco. But after watching him grow as a musician and the passion that also developed with it, he was drawn to the boy.

And he wanted nothing more than this moment to continue, to keep playing with him in _Beck_. That's why Ryusuke had got through the risk to get Sykes arrested for his crime, so he'd never think of going after Koyuki for rejecting his offer all the while reforming _Beck_ and making it big without his involvement; not to mention, rejecting his involvement. If things worked out, as he hope they would eventually, Ryusuke could have what Taira and Saku has with Koyuki. Just right now, he was so hot he fantasized sweeping the omega off his feet and carting him into the nearest, empty room and having him call out his name in desperation...

_Ryusuke... Ryusuke..._

"RYUSUKE!" Taira hissed. "Snap out of it! We're in a show, for fuck's sake!"

Ryusuke blinked, not realizing he had been to enraptured by Koyuki's singing. _That was so unprofessional._ He was about to get back to playing when he noticed an alpha aggressively trying to push through the crowd to go over the stage, if it weren't for the security he'd make it there. Ryusuke shook it off and went back to playing.

His mistake.

" _ **... Sorrow is what I hate, but it's grown my sensations,**_

****

****

_**Regrets taught me how to make any hard decisions,** _

****

****

_**Peace is always by my side, but I never felt it once,** _

****

****

_**And love is nor a word reserved only for sweet romance.** _

****

****

_**Well, I'm scared, I'm scared, I'm scared, I'm scared to dea—**_ "

**  
******  


********

It happened so fast.

One moment, Koyuki was singing and the next, he was suddenly on the floor with an alpha heavily on him. He tore the _Telecaster_ off him before trying to do the same to his shirt, and unbuttoning his pants.

The omega screamed, which only made the alpha more aggressive.

"Koyuki!"

Ryusuke and Chiba had gone to the assist a moment later. An alpha's baser instincts went two ways; they forcefully stake their claim or they determinedly protect their own.

Chiba tore the man off Koyuki and immediately knock him one, while Ryusuke held Koyuki close to him protectively. Koyuki winced, during the struggle, the man had scratched his chest violently and drew a bit of blood. It left scratches but hopefully, nothing that would scar.

"Ryusuke, we've gotta get him outta the room." Taira said quickly but calmly. "we don't know why but some people in the audience are acting up and trying to get onstage... Chiba! Damn it, we gotta move! Yuji, leave the equipment, we'll get back to them later."

Ryusuke didn't need to be told twice. He went about carrying Koyuki and make a mad dash backstage as security tried settling things down.

There was no way he was letting any other alpha take him.

****

──────────────────────────────────────────────────

"Ngh... Nn... Ow..."

Ryusuke pulled the cotton swab back. "I know it hurts like shit but suck it up, we're almost done." He said, before dabbing the swab once more to his chest. "There. Finished, now hold still for a sec." He unrolled a roll of bandage before wrapping it around Koyuki's chest. Ryusuke gave him a jacket of his to wear afterwards.

Part of him also gave it, to give and get a scent.

"Thanks Ryusuke. You sure know what you're doing."

"Well, gotta take care of myself. And I've been in a _loooooot_ of fights."

"Still, a fight wasn't necessarily what happened back there." Taira piped in. "It was more like assault."

Chiba grunted, nursing the bruise on his cheek with an ice pack. "Damn... Haters gonna hate, all right." He complained. "and we're not even half as famous as _F.V.E._ yet, let alone _Dying Breed_."

"Yeah, but..." Saku pondered. "why'd go for Koyuki first? Ryusuke-kun and Chiba-kun were nearer to the edge of the stage."

Ryusuke silently agreed. He didn't mind taking a blow from a hater if it was on the expense of protecting Koyuki.

Koyuki shuddered, and Ryusuke felt it through his hand that still rested on the boy's shoulder. "Koyuki..." The alpha prodded cautiously. "what's wrong?"

"I... I... Think he tried to rape me."

Ryusuke's eyes widened and he accidentally released an animalistic growl. The other's expression was nothing short of surprise.

"Oh my god."

"No fuck, you're shitting us."

"Koyuki, are you sure?" Taira prodded calmly but sternly. "that's not a light accusation, especially coming from a minor."

Koyuki shook his head. "Well, I just think so... He did try to take my pants off after tearing my shirt..." He told them.

Ryusuke growled louder. "I'm gonna get that bastard!" He went towards the door.

"Yuji, stop him!"

Saku blocked the entrance, as told. But he felt almost the same as Ryusuke. Koyuki is his best friend and he wasn't gonna let anyone get away with trying to violate him, if that had been the case.

"Out of my way!"

"Ryusuke, calm yourself down!" Taira scolded. "You're scenting the whole place. We aren't just here for _Beck_ , as the opening act, we're not gonna go and give _F.V.E._ any further bad publicity after they've given us this huge opportunity. We'll take this one step at a time, got it?"

Ryusuke grumbled but what calmed him down is how his temperament was affecting Koyuki. The young omega was whimpering and curled up, trying to hide himself. The last thing he wanted was to make Koyuki scared of him.

" _Hey_ ," David came into the room. " _the situation's calmed down. You okay, kid?_ "

Koyuki uncurled himself. " _Ye-yes, Eric-san. Thank you._ "

" _Hey, hey. It's David, 'kay?_ " David grinned. " _we've been traveling together for months. We're tight now, right?_ "

Koyuki nodded shyly. " _Okay... David-san._ "

Ryusuke bristled a bit.

"Just so you know," Chiba leant over to him and spoke lowly, "he tried hitting on Koyuki twice... Maybe thrice, since we first landed at _L.A.X._ "

Ryusuke widened his eyes.

"No~" Taira nudged Chiba roughly. "that did not happen. Eric-san gets overly friendly at times, but hey, it's just that. Friendly. Plus, it's America."

"You gotta suck the fun out of everything, don'tcha mom?"

"We don't need another upset alpha, dude."

Ryusuke grunted, but that did make him feel a little better. Besides, Koyuki never understood advances unless it was laid bare in front of him... _Sometimes, not even then_.

" _So listen Tanaka, what I'm gonna say next is... Well, keep in mind that we're friends, okay?_ "

Koyuki looked a little confused with the need to reiterate that point. Twice.

"Uhm, what did he say?" Taira asked, noticing the expression Koyuki had on.

Ryusuke shrugged. "He's gonna say something and asked Koyuki to keep in mind that they're friends." He smirked. "Just friends."

"Okay, don't be so smug about it, hot shot." Taira snorted. "For the record, you're just friends, too."

Chiba and, even Saku, snickered at that.

"Chiba's right," Ryusuke scowled. "You do suck the fun out of everything, mom."

Taira shrugged, unfazed. "It's a gift."

" _Okay kid, listen up. The alpha that attacked you earlier_ ," David started slowly. Koyuki flinched a bit. "well, he's right outside."

Koyuki gaped.

" _... And he wants to speak to you. I told him I'd see what I could do._ "

Ryusuke widened his eyes before glaring. " _Are you fucking kidding me?_ " He demanded.

"Uh, Okaaay, I'm sensing sudden tension." Chiba grimaced. "You guys feel the tension? There's sudden tension."

Saku nodded. "Yeap. I felt it, Chiba-kun." He said tonelessly.

"What did he say?" Taira asked.

Ryusuke grumbled. "The asshole guy that attacked Koyuki earlier is right outside and he wants to talk to him." He said. "And I think ol' David here is helping him do it."

Taira widened his eyes. "Is he crazy?"

" _Now look, I know you'd be uneasy about it. But he says he wants to clear the air. Look, I got my big break because of a far fetch chance, so I feel strongly about chances, and yes, second chances counts..._ "

" _David-san, I can't..._ "

" _C'mon Tanaka, I've talked to him, he doesn't seem that bad of gu—_ "

" _Shut up, bastard! He said no!_ "

Koyuki blinked before putting a calming hand on Ryusuke. "Ryusuke, I didn't mean that. It's okay," he said before turning back to the American. " _David-san... I can't, I mean... English... not that good... speak slow_."

" _Oh_." David looked a little chagrin.

Taira looked at Ryusuke. "What'd he say now?"

Ryusuke sighed, before translating in for Taira and the others, as well as Koyuki to save David the trouble of repeating himself. "David here's asking Koyuki to give his attacker a chance to explain himself, who he claims isn't so bad."

Chiba snorted. "Uh, maybe he missed the part that the guy just attacked our friend." He said. "David's an all right guy but now he's out of his mind."

" _Okay David-san_." Koyuki suddenly said after a while of being thoughtful. " _I'll hear what he has to say._ "

Ryusuke turned his head towards Koyuki so fast he could've risked a whiplash.

" _All right,_ " David smiled. " _I'll send him in._ " He headed out.

Taira rubbed his forehead. "I'm really getting tired of asking this, even if it's Koyuki this time, but..." He sighed. "what did he—?"

"He's gonna hear him out."

Taira and the others look surprised.

"Okay, now Koyuki's nuts."

Ryusuke turned to the younger Omega. "Koyuki, why'd you agree?"

"Well... David-san has been real nice to us all this time. I decided to do it as a favor,"

Ryusuke narrowed his eyes. "You are so..."

"Plus," Koyuki went on. "you guys aren't gonna let anything happen to me, anyway... Wait..." Then looked at Ryusuke. "I'm so what?"

Ryusuke bit his tongue.

"Okay, now I'm thinking that was something close to another kind of tension."

"Shut up, Chiba, and stand up front." Ryusuke snapped. "If things get messy, we'll keep it off Koyuki."

Ryusuke and Chiba just got into position when the Alpha and David came back into the room. Who, conveniently, was at least handcuffed.

" _Tanaka Yukio! Oh my god, I am such a big fan, I—_ "

Ryusuke glared at him, holding up his arm in front of Koyuki. " _Keep your distance, dude._ " He hissed. " _This ain't a meet and greet, and you're no_ V.I.P. _dude._ "

" _Right, right. Of course, about that... Look, I've got no idea what came over me back there... Just... It's just... Your singing voice was so awesome and it... I guess it was a real turn on._ "

Koyuki blushed and shifted a little uncomfortably.

" _Is that why you tried to rape him?_ " Ryusuke scowled.

" _Oh my god! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean... I wasn't trying... I really don't know why I did that. Shit, I must sound like a real perv..._ "

Ryusuke snorted. " _Sound? You mean you aren't?_ "

" _Uh, hey... Ray, is it?_ " David spoke up. " _Can you leave it to Tanaka to speak for himself?_ "

Ryusuke glared at the alpha vocalist of _F.V.E._

" _So..._ " Koyuki finally spoke. " _you attack me... why?_ "

The alpha looked truly apologetic, and Koyuki is a bit surprise because he couldn't recall ever seeing an alpha look like that.

" _I'm sorry, I really am. But I honestly can't tell you something I'm not sure of myself. But... I'm really hoping you could forgive me..._ " He smiled a little sheepishly. " _Like I said... Huge fan... And maybe, you know, it'd be awesome to get an autograph... Maybe? Please?_ "

Koyuki thought about it.

" _Tsk. If you think it's that easy to ask for forgiveness..._ "

" _Okay._ " Koyuki finally said with a small smile.

" _What the fuck?_ "

" _But uh... I have nothing to write with..._ "

" _Oh... That's a shame, but... Wait... You forgive me?!_ "

Koyuki nodded slowly.

" _Hell yeah! Thank you, thank you, tha—_ "

Chiba stepped in when the guy tried getting close again and even attempted to hug Koyuki. "Whoa, whoa. I have no idea what just happened... But distance, bro." He said.

The Alpha blinked, not understanding.

" _Distance._ " Ryusuke hissed.

The alpha understood and took a step back. David smiled, patting his back. " _C'mon man, I'll convince the Feds to drop you with simple community service._ " They exited the room.

"Ugh," Taira place a hand on his forehead. "I'm not even gonna ask anymore."

Chiba did it instead. "So, how come the asshole looked happy?" He asked. "you did give him a piece of your mind, right? Hey Ryusuke, please tell me you did tell him off."

"I wanted to."

Koyuki shook his head. "Well, he apologized."

"Okaaaay~ and you told him to fuck off, right?"

Ryusuke grumbled. "Dumbass." He said. "why'd he look that way if that was what happened? No, Koyuki gave him the slip."

"Say whaaa~t?" Chiba gaped. "Koyuki, man, what the shit?"

"Didn't you just say he tried to rape you?" Saku asked.

Koyuki rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I said I think he did... And he said he didn't mean to do it..." He said lamely.

"Of course he'd say that. That's what people say when they're trying to get off charges." Taira sighed. "I know you're not dumb Koyuki, but I also know you've got a good heart, and sometimes that makes you naïve. Think about it... Are you really okay with what he did?"

Koyuki shrugged. "Yeah, well, I'll get over it." He said. "But what I'd really like is some rest now."

"Yeah, well, it wasn't much of a show but it was still a pretty stressful night." Taira shrugged. "let's get our gear and pack up, _Beck_."

Ryusuke was still, all in all, unsatisfied.

****

──────────────────────────────────────────────────

They still have several states to visit and now with Ryusuke back, they need to be more careful in spending and deciding their budget with their allowance from _F.V.E._ since they aren't getting any real monetary dues for their service until after the tour is over.

But as a consolation from the incident, David booked them a night in two rooms at a four star hotel. It would've been five and just a single room for Koyuki, being the only real victim, but the younger omega of the group didn't feel comfortable getting the freebie without his friends.

Not that he was trying to make a bargain of David's offer, though.

" _Thanks for rooms, David-san_." Koyuki bowed slightly at him before entering the room. "Taira-kun, do you want to shower first?"

"Nah, it's okay, you go..."

Ryusuke really wished he could share a room with Koyuki. But while the others are all generally supportive of his intention to garner the affection of their secondary vocalist, there was no way their sole bassist was gonna let that happen. Not only was it the set up agreed upon...

Calling Taira mom was only half a tease.

"Frustrated, Ryusuke-kun?" Saku asked knowingly. "I know the feeling."

Ryusuke snorted in amusement. "Yeah, except you're dating Taira." He quipped. "must be ten times worse for you."

"Hum. Not really," Saku shrugged. "You know... Cause I'm a beta and, well, I'm secured cause we're actually bonded now."

Ryusuke scowled at the young drummer. "Fuck you, you lucky bastard." He said with no real heat.

Saku just chuckled, re-entering their own room.

" _Hey, Ryusuke Minami, right?_ " David is suddenly beside him. " _David Eric. Lead vocalist for_ F.V.E." He held out a hand.

Ryusuke shrugged. " _Yeah, hey._ " He shook the hand. " _I go by Ray here, it's my legal American name._ "

" _Cool. I'll remember that. And you're the one who started_ Beck, _right?_ "

" _Sounds about right._ "

" _You got my respect for that, you guys are an awesome band._ " David remarked before continuing. " _So look... We got off on the wrong foot earlier. Sorry if I came out too strong._ "

" _Yeah, well, gotta look out for a friend._ " Ryusuke shrugged. " _I ain't gonna apologize for it, either._ "

David chuckled good-naturedly. " _Heh, so what Chiba said was true; you're not all high on apologies._ " He mused. " _Well, it's not like I don't get it. We alphas do tend to get a little protective of our omegas, friends or mates alike_."

Ryusuke hummed in agreement. " _You've got a mate?_ "

" _No, but my brother, Kevin Eric, is one._ " David shrugged. " _So I get why you acted the way you did with Koyuki earlier, he's one fine omega, too._ "

Ryusuke bristled once more, but since David was going for a friendly conversation... Well, if it was gonna turn unfriendly, he wasn't going to be the one to set it off, just so he can be justified for kicking his ass later.

" _Since we're on that subject, you better mark him soon. Who knows if you'll lose him to another alpha if you wait too long._ "

Ryusuke raised a brow. " _What?_ "

" _Oh. I'm talking about bonding... Since he's your mate and all._ "

Ryusuke grunted in frustration. " _I hate to burst your bubble, but he's just a friend._ " He said. David looked surprised before it changed to amusement. " _No, I'm serious. I_ REALLY _hate to burst that bubble. He's a friend, but you better bet your next paycheck that it's only temporary. So. Back. Off._ " He hissed.

David laughed. " _Hey, hey, I can respect the bro code, don't you worry._ " He smiled. " _Just be sure to tell me first if you change your mind about the kid._ " He said teasingly before walking away. " _Good night, Ray._ "

Ryusuke really had no idea how to feel about that guy.

"Hey Ryusuke-kun! Get in here, we've got a little problem!"

Ryusuke entered the room. "What're you talking about?" He asked, but then, he saw it. There were only two beds. He narrowed his eyes before looking at Chiba and Saku. "I'm not sharing one with Chiba." He deadpanned.

"Like hell I'd want to share one with you, you fucking bastard."

"I can't share with any of you either." Saku said calmly. "The month will be over in two weeks yet none of you had gone into a rut yet, have you, Ryusuke-kun?"

"No, but..."

Saku cut him off. "I'm not gonna risk being in a bed with either of you in case you'll get into an early rut, Yoshi would either kill one of you or me."

Ryusuke groaned and face palmed. "There's only one way to settle this fairly." He held out a fist. " **Jankenpon.** Winner gets to have one bed to himself."

"Fine by me, fuckers."

"All right. Best of three."

"Okay, let's do this."

" **Jan, Ken... Pon!** "

****

──────────────────────────────────────────────────

"Say, Taira-kun... Do you hear that?"

Taira shrugged, shuffling cards. "Yeah, I was wondering when they'd start bickering." He said, stacking chips next. "Yuji's fine, but there are now two alphas, sharing a room, so it's expected."

"Should we check on them?"

"Nah, they're grown men... Granted, two immature grown men, but grown men all the same. They should be able to work it out."

Koyuki bit his lip, looking out the door.

"Your worrying is gonna wrinkle up your face fast. I know you can't stop thinking about Ryusuke but he's fine, he's among friends. And Chiba won't kill him, he'll just try to."

Koyuki blushed. "I wasn't thinking about Ryusuke! I was thinking of all of them." He protested.

"Mhm." Taira hummed, unconvincing. "And this is why I'm teaching you poker."

Koyuki raised a brow. "Huh?"

"And we got a lot of things to cover up," Taira smirked. "Let's start with expressions."


	5. Omega Closure

Ryusuke was getting tired of playing blanket tug-o-war with Chiba, not to mention the guy snores like hell when he sleeps.

He had no idea how Saku was able to handle it. Then again, not only was he on the other bed, but the beta was a drummer. He doesn't even wear earmuffs during rehearsals or earplugs during shows, snoring is probably on the same level as a whisper for him.

So the alpha lead guitarist headed out to the lobby, maybe there was a late night bar or something.

Not a bar; a late night café was open.

That was better. Not to be mistaken, Ryusuke liked drinking, even late into the night. But Koyuki would never be found in a bar alone, not to mention at this late hour.

And there was the omega, on a table alone with only a cup of creamed coffee keeping him company.

Until Ryusuke.

"Hey Koyuki," The alpha smirked when the younger Omega jumped on his seat. "couldn't sleep?"

Koyuki turned his head a bit. "Oh Ryusuke, hey. I'm surprised you're still up." He remarked unnecessarily.

"Yeah, I could say the same thing about you." Ryusuke chuckled, taking the seat across Koyuki. "Chiba's the worse bed buddy, he's snoring like a lawn mower, what's your excuse?"

Koyuki cocked his head to the side. "Lawn mower?"

"Oh, right. Japan doesn't have a high demand for that. Probably don't see it often, if at all." Ryusuke smirked. "Let's just say Chiba is loud in everything he does."

Koyuki laughed, and Ryusuke had to stomp down his instincts to jump him. "I can believe that. Taira-kun and I heard you guys arguing while he was teaching me how to play poker, but we heard Chiba mostly." He said. "I'm not surprise Saku won though. He's real good at **Janken** , it makes me wonder if he found a way to cheat."

Ryusuke raised a brow. "Taira taught you poker?"

"Sort of..." Koyuki chuckled awkwardly. "He started off with teaching me how to control my expressions and the idea of a poker face before getting to the rules. He said we'll play an actual game tomorrow."

 _Well, that's gonna make Koyuki harder to read._ Ryusuke rolled his eyes. _Damn it Taira, making my life harder._

Koyuki mistook the eye-roll for something else, though. "I'm sorry about earlier..."

"Huh?"

"Well, of the other guys, you seemed like the one pretty much against my decision earlier." Koyuki clarified. "I didn't mean to make you upset."

Ryusuke stared at the omega. _This kid is something else._ He thought. "Dude, Koyuki, you don't have to fucking apologize for that. That fucker from earlier was the one at the wrong."

"Yeah, and he had apologized for it." Koyuki justified. "I didn't see a reason not to forgive him."

Ryusuke sighed. "The world is full of assholes, Koyuki, that don't deserve forgiveness given to them that easily." He snapped.

"Yeah, you may be right about that," Koyuki sighed, recalling bad memories; Hyodo bullying money out of him and bullying him in general, Rikiya breaking that guitar he had repaired for Ryusuke and bending Maho's pick, Yoshitto messing with him, and other random assholes taking advantage of his usual meek personality. "But... Very few people actually apologizes to me, and sound real sincere about it, I guess it was refreshing; so I might as well forgive him."

Ryusuke wanted to protest the logic, but then found he couldn't. Here was a kid who, at times, did unnecessary things, but it somehow ends up working out for him later.

Like playing _Dying Breed_ 's _50 Cent Wisdom_ that found him a friend in Sakurai Yuji.

Starting off with a solo act at _Greatful Sound_ that later turned out to be _Beck_ 's greatest performance to date.

And apologizing unnecessarily for the guitar he broke, by accident and no where near intentional. It may have been necessary at the time, but if Ryusuke had known at the time it was the knock off version... Well, he would've let it easily slide.

Ryusuke had never once apologize for losing his temper with him that time. He had tried, but Koyuki ran away before he could get a word out. He was, once again, at fault, for not trying harder to bring it up.

Koyuki's forgiving nature is why they were able to get passed that.

It wasn't just to Koyuki, either. He never apologized to Chiba for the money he never paid back or that time he hit a blow to his self-esteem during _Greatful Sound_. He never apologized for signing a contract without Royalties or making that bet Sykes that pressured them. He never apologized for causing _Beck_ to break up, as well.

"Ryusuke?" Koyuki frowned. "Are you all right? You got all silent suddenly."

Ryusuke looked at the obviously worried look all over Koyuki's face and smiled a little, realizing Taira has a lot of work to do.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Ryusuke shrugged. "just realized I'm an asshole, too."

Koyuki blinked. "Okay? I'm not sure what made you say that, but..." He shrugged. "if it makes you feel better, I've met worse."

Ryusuke smiled. "Thanks, Koyuki... You're a great guy, you know that?" He said.

"Me? Nah," Koyuki scratched his cheek, embarrassed with the praise. "I'm just me."

Ryusuke chuckled. "Exactly."

****

──────────────────────────────────────────────────

Koyuki finished his coffee but the two stayed a while to converse about everything and nothing before they headed back to their floor. Just as the alpha wished the omega a good night and Koyuki entered his room, Ryusuke's phone rung. He took it out of his pocket before flipping it open.

" _Hey._ "

" _Ray, it's been a while._ "

" _Oh, Eddie it's you. _" Ryusuke leaned against his room door. " _What's up?_ "__

" _I should be asking you that. Anyway, I wanted to ask when's your Make up show for_ Seattle _?_ "

Ryusuke blinked. " _Huh? Only people in Seattle would know about that._ "

" _Yeah, so when is it?_ "

Ryusuke had to think for a moment. " _We're supposed to leave for the next state the day after tomorrow, so we'll be having it tomorrow._ " He said, before it clicked. " _Dude, are you you in_ Seattle _now?_ "

" _Took you long enough. Matt had errands to run and he dragged me along. I was thinking we could catch up tomorrow if you had the time._ "

Ryusuke shrugged. " _Sure, what time are you good for? Preferably a time before three o' clock. We've got rehearsals then._ " He said.

" _Does brunch sound good?_ "

" _Yeah, sounds great. See you then... All right, night._ "

Ryusuke made sure to leave a note to make sure the others wouldn't assume he went off on his own again after being back for less than a day, since technically, it hasn't been twenty four hours yet since he came back. He was pretty sure no one would be more upset than Koyuki if that was the assumption. Taira would kill him, too. Maybe even all of them. If they were some odd family, he's pretty sure Koyuki would be the baby.

And nobody wanted to make a baby cry.

" _Hey,_ " Ryusuke raised his hand, and Dying Breed's Lead omega guitarist looked up. " _you've been here long_?"

Eddie smiled, shaking his head. " _You never did learn to keep with time, did you?_ " He remarked. " _So, is it true; Prudence is really all yours?_ "

" _Yeah, sure is. Leon's been tracking me down for it before the Feds finally caught up with him, gotta thank his Uncle for that one._ "

" _I don't know if you're brave for getting yourself involved in that shit or damn stupid_." Eddie remarked in amusement. " _Anyway, what really happened last night during your show? The media said_ F.V.E. _and_ Beck _refuses to comment and Police report says that one concert goer got aggressive and attacked the vocalist._ "

" _Yeah, that's pretty much the gist._ " Ryusuke sighed, resting his cheek on a hand. " _Damn bastard even got off jail time._ "

" _Who was your vocalist again? That guy with an afro-like haircut?_ "

" _Well, Chiba's our Lead vocalist, yeah. But it was Koyuki who got attacked,_ " Ryusuke grumbled. " _Plus, Chiba would've definitely pushed through with pressing charges._ "

Eddie cocked his head to the side. " _Koyuki... Wasn't he that kid who sang with us during our Japan visit? Is he okay?_ " He asked.

" _Well, he got over it enough to forgive the jerk when he came in to apologize._ "

" _Seriously? You even met the guy?_ "

" _Yeah, he said he couldn't help himself and something about Koyuki's voice being arousing, the shit._ "

Eddie's expression turned odd at that. " _Arousing? How so?_ "

" _I don't know, he probably got into Koyuki's singing too much. I mean, I get that. Koyuki always did have something special, even we can hear it but we don't try to jump him or anything_."

Eddie was silent for a moment. Ryusuke eyed him curiously but waited. Finally, the blond spoke. " _Has Koyuki been an omega all this time or was it a recent development?_ "

" _Huh? Uh yeah, that last one._ " Ryusuke replied in wonder. " _How'd you figure?_ "

" _Ray, I think—_ " Eddie looked liked he was gonna say something more but thought better of it. " _Nevermind. I'll say more when Koyuki's around, too._ "

Ryusuke found that odd. " _Okay, if you say so..._ " Then, something occurred to him. " _If you want, you can come over to rehearsals. I think I could use your help._ "

" _Heh, haven't seen or heard from you in a while and you're already asking for favors._ " Eddie mused. " _What are you planning this time?_ "

Ryusuke rubbed the back of his head. " _I want to apologize to the band,_ " he said. " _Especially Koyuki._ "

Eddie widened his eyes, never expecting to hear him to say that. Then, he smirked. "What did you have in mind?"

****

──────────────────────────────────────────────────

"Geez, he could have at least left the van at park, y' know." Chiba grunted.

Taira rolled his eyes, letting go of Saku's hand momentarily to smack the vocalist behind the head. "Stop whining already, it's only a ten-minute walk to the café. You had all morning to laze around, too." He snapped, retrieving Saku's hand. "You could use the exercise."

"Taira, for one second, could you not be a mom?"

"I would, if you stop being a baby first."

The rest of _Beck_ was headed over to the _Crocodile café_ right now.

Koyuki sighed, wondering why he so disappointed that Ryusuke went off so early in the morning to see Eddie Lee. He understood that they were close friends and all, but for some reasons, he found himself uneasy about it. He was looking forward to finally starting the day with _Beck_ as a complete band.

He was looking forward to finally spending the entire day of band activities with Ryusuke.

"At least he didn't go off on his own again and we do know where he went this time." Koyuki jumped as he heard Saku speaks up beside him. "Cheer up."

Koyuki blinked. "Whoa. What? I wasn't... Huh?" He babbled.

"You're face is so readable, man."

Taira chuckled. "Poker face; it's a work in-progress, that's for sure." He remarked.

"Maybe you should buy him a leash, like you had with Beck." Chiba snickered.

Taira narrowed his eyes and threw a jab to Chiba's shoulder. "Pervert." He said. "you're mind is dirtier than your bedroom."

"Uh, you've been to his bedroom?"

Taira smirked at Saku's obvious jealousy. He either found it vexing or endearing, depending on the cause. Now, it was endearing. He leaned over and pecked him on the cheek.

"Agh, lucky bastards." Chiba grunted. "Rubbing it in."

Koyuki smiled slightly, couldn't help but agreeing with Chiba's sentiments silently. What the two had was special, he didn't think Maho ever looked at him the way Taira and Saku looked at each other, or vice versa. He wondered if he'd ever something like that someday with his own special someone...

"... Ryusuke's hot..."

Koyuki blinked. "Huh, what?"

"Fuck, that actually worked." Chiba snickered. "should we assume the feeling's mutual?"

Koyuki cocked his head to the side. "What's mutual?"

Taira elbowed Chiba. "Never mind Koyuki." He insisted. "You okay? You were spacing out."

"It's nothing, really." Koyuki tried for a smile. "I was just… Thinking, that's all."

Taira had a thoughtful expression on, scrutinizing Koyuki's face. It unnerved the younger omega a bit. But then, the bassist smiled and gave his back a pat. "Like I told Chiba last night, don't worry. You'll get a mate, too, someday." Koyuki gaped at his older friend. Granted, Taira must've put two and two together based on Chiba's earlier whining but seriously, no one can be that quick.

He shook his head, waving his hand dismissively. "Yeah, well, I doubt there's anyone who'd go for an awkward omega like me."

Chiba made a funny face that went unnoticed by Koyuki. He nudged Saku. "I gotta tell him."

"Don't you dare." Taira snapped, having heard that, before turning back to Koyuki. "Dude, there's more to you than that. Anyone who thinks otherwise has got to answer to _Beck_."

Koyuki smiled genuinely at Taira. "Thanks Taira,"

"Speaking of _Beck_ ," Chiba spoke up, pointing to their destination. "Our van is here, and so are the mutt mascots."

The rest of the band looked forward and noticed the vehicle with the Beck and Keith leashed nearby it. They all figured Ryusuke got there beforehand. They picked up the pace, heading to the back entrance that would be leading to back stage. Or rather, Koyuki did. He didn't want to keep the alpha waiting longer than he needed to, even if that wasn't likely. It wasn't even three yet, so it wasn't like Ryusuke would chew them out for being late.

The young omega tried to ignore the part of his brain telling him that he had been missing Ryusuke. He still had no clue why he kept getting like that this. Taira noticed this, and it wasn't just about being mom-like. From what he gathered, since Koyuki is a real late bloomer in presenting and with all things going on considered, he didn't really have much time to study up on how it works being an omega. It doesn't help that his mother is a beta. It wasn't that she was negligent, just maybe a tad laid-back.

The bassist was troubled in explaining it to Koyuki, that the omega in him may already have a subconscious desire to please the alpha in Ryusuke. For one thing, it was speculation. Even if they were close friends, it's not like he could be a hundred percent sure his intuition was right. For another thing, Taira didn't want to dictate how Koyuki should be feeling. Even if that would never be the intention, knowing the guy, Koyuki would end up over thinking it and convincing himself that were really the case even if it may not even be so.

Basically, Taira didn't want to implicate to Koyuki that he may have feelings already for Ryusuke plainly for the reason he wanted the kid to figure it out himself first. And if nothing else, he didn't want implicate that alpha and omega genes get decide who is one supposed to like. He hadn't wanted it for himself, he surely didn't want it for his friends.

As the rest of the band caught up with Koyuki, they found their younger vocalist standing still just beside the steps leading up to the stage they used last night. As they got closer, music started flowing and they heard a voice sing, a voice they don't normally hear singing.

They heard Ryusuke singing.

" _ **You gotta go and get angry at all of my honesty**_

****

****

**_You know I try but I don't do too well with apologies._** "

"What the—"

Taira nudged Chiba, glaring at him with a finger to his lips. Saku looked over to Koyuki, who seemed too entranced to even be bothered by Chiba's almost outburst. Looking at the stage, he seemed to realize that Ryusuke was much the same. Although the guitarist didn't even seem to notice they were there behind him. But someone else on the stage did. Eddie smiled and nodded slightly in acknowledgement as he continued playing instrumental. Saku had no idea what this private rehearsal was all about. He just hoped it didn't mean Ryusuke was leaving the band to go play with _Dying Breed_. 

That would crush Koyuki.

" _ **I hope I don't run out of time, can someone call a referee?**_

****

****

_**Cause I just need one more shot at forgiveness** _

****

****

_**I know you know that I made those mistakes maybe once or twic** _

****

****

_**By once or twice I mean maybe a couple of hundred times** _

****

****

_**So let me, oh let me redeem, oh redeem myself tonight** _

****

****

_**Cause I just need one more shot at second chances...**_ "

**  
******  


_Beck_ knew something wasn't right. Or rather, something was at least off. Ryusuke had always been too proud to ever utter words of apology, let alone sing about it. It's not like they thought the guy never felt apologetic, they were sure he did feel that. But he was never one to actually own up to it. If they could count in their hands how many times Ryusuke actually admitted to his mistakes and apologized for it… Well, they wouldn't even need hands at all.

"Is this a new song?" Saku muttered lowly to Taira.

Taira frowned thoughtfully. "Chiba wouldn't sing something this mellow, and songs we ever gave Koyuki to sing always had meaning like it was tailored for Koyuki himself to be singing it." He muttered back.

"That's true…" Saku looked back to the stage. "Plus, he'd always give us a heads up about any new songs he was making. Unless…"

The two of them looked at each other, and even without speaking further, they had one thought in their mind. _He's dedicating it to_ Beck…

" _ **Is it too late now to say sorry?**_

****

****

_**Cause I missed more than just our singing** _

****

****

_**Is it too late now to say sorry?** _

****

****

_**Yeah I know that I let you down** _

****

****

_**Is it too late to say that I'm sorry now?**_ "

Ryusuke stopped singing, and looked at Eddie, since the guy stopped playing. " _Why'd you stop?_ " He looked at his watch. " _It'll be three any moment. The guys will be here soon._ "

" _You know as well as I do that writing a new song takes time, you can't rush it._ " Eddie placed his guitar down. " _But simply saying that word will barely take a minute._ "

" _What word?_ "

Eddie narrowed his eyes. " _What do you think?_ " He sighed. " _I know you're not big on apologies, but you must have heard it a lot by now._ "

" _Yeah, but it's just not my style. Singing it seems easier than just saying it._ " Ryusuke groaned, rubbing the back of his head. " _Besides,_ Beck _will get it. Music is communication anyway._ "

Eddie glanced behind, trying not to be obvious, towards _Beck_. He gave a quick wink before getting back to Ryusuke. " _Music can't do everything, even if it feels that way sometimes. It surely can't list down all the wrong things you've done to your band mates. Besides,_ " he shrugged. " _If you actually verbalize what you're sorry for, it will help you remember not to repeat it next time. You know, apologizing for mistakes means not doing them again, if possible._ "

" _I wouldn't do it again for sure._ "

" _And what makes you so certain?_ " Eddie placed a hand on his cheek. " _You never really considered how your stupidity could affect your Band mates before, why start now?_ "

Ryusuke looked down, being thoughtful, absently switching back to Japanese. "Because Koyuki showed me how to be a better person… And I don't want it to be too late, I don't want to lose _Beck._ They're not just a band, they're my pack. And I'm gonna stick with them unlike all the others."

" _You know I don't understand a whole of Japanese, Ray._ " Eddie smirked. " _Good thing your band does._ "

Ryusuke chuckled. " _A lot of good that is, if they were only here to hear it._ " He joked. Not that he'd actually want them to have heard them at this moment…

"MY FUCKING SHIT!" Ryusuke nearly screamed when there's suddenly weight on him. "Who knew Minami fucking Ryusuke had it in him to be a major sap!"

"Haaaaah?!" Ryusuke widened his eyes and his face felt hot when he looked over only to see Chiba had been there the whole time. "Don't… Don't tell me…" He swallowed, and nearly screamed again as the rest of Beck were all accounted for, grinning and smirking like the cheeky, cocky bastards they are.

Koyuki's genuine smile almost made up for it though.

" _You're welcome._ " Eddie spoke up once more.

Ryusuke turned to him and gave him a good glare. " _If I never hear the end of this, Ed, I'm gonna fucking kill you._ "

" _Looking forward to it._ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, Alive. Unbelievable, I know. I plan on focusing on this fic for now since Beck needs more fandom love. I also plan on having this story show more characters, like Eiji, Yoshitto, and Manabu later on, and not just revolving the main couple or Beck alone.


	6. Omega Note

They all had a good laugh for a while on Ryusuke's expense, Chiba especially. Ryusuke almost wanted to take back apologizing, or do something wrong to them, mostly Chiba, and not apologize for it. He might've done it, too, if Koyuki hadn't gone and ask him if he really meant what he said.

And of course, how could he take it back in the face of that eagerness?

" _Anyway, if you're all done poking fun at Ray, how about a little jamming session?_ " Eddie suggested, speaking mostly to Koyuki, recalling him to be the most well-versed in English in comparison to the other three. " _Since I'm already here intruding rehearsals, might as well do it thoroughly. What do you say, Koyuki?_ "

" _If we have time, okay._ " Koyuki chuckled lightly, it seems these Americans keep assuming he's as good in English as Ryusuke is, but in all honesty, he only understood half of what Eddie said, but thankfully, enough to give a response. He nodded. "Guys, do we have time to jam with Eddie?"

"Are you kidding? Jamming with Eddie Lee, we could make time!" Chiba hollered.

Taira spoke up at that. "Is what we'd like to say but _F.V.E._ has their own rehearsals at four. So we can't take too much time." He said pointedly. Chiba looked ready to complain. "So if you wanna jam, then you might as well join us for tonight." He smirked.

"Haha, good call, Taira." Ryusuke agreed, giving a look to his friend. " _You got that that, Ed?_ "

Eddie chuckled lightly. " _Heh. You drive a hard bargain,_ " he pulled out his phone. " _Let me just get an okay from my agency._ "

" _And if they say no?_ "

" _Then I'll just get Matt to make it an okay._ " Eddie smirked, winking.

Ryusuke snickered. " _Heh. He. is. Whipped._ "

" _You're one to talk._ "

" _Huh?_ "

Eddie smirked, vaguely cocking his head towards Koyuki. Ryusuke turned red before jabbing his friend roughly on the shoulder. Eddie just laughed in response. Beck just watched the two, some of them were able to piece together what they were probably saying through body language, like Taira and Saku. But the other two were pretty much clueless. Chiba just shrugged it off, going over to the vending machine for a drink.

"What are they talking about?" Koyuki frowned.

Saku smiled at him. "I thought you understood English most among all of us, Ryusuke-kun aside."

"Well, yeah but… the context, I don't get it…"

Taira chuckled lightly. "Well, for now, it's probably best you don't get it." He said to the younger omega. "Yuji, let's go back and get our equipment from the van."

Saku was all too quick to agree, going to stand by Taira's side before heading out with him.

"Keep it safe, ya damn fuckers." Chiba hollered teasingly, coming back with a can of soda. "and make it a quickie."

"Chiba!" Koyuki exclaimed at the crude remark.

Taira threw him a dirty look before flipping him off. Saku just took it in stride.

****

──────────────────────────────────────────────────

Needless to say, when Taira and Saku did come back, Taira decided not to go all shirt off for this performance to hide some hickeys on his neck. Koyuki still gets shock that his mild best friend had it in him to be so... well, not mild. Chiba didn't know whether to laugh or grumble in envy.

"In case you're wondering," Saku spoke to Koyuki when he went to help him fix up his drum set. "Yoshi asked for it."

Koyuki smiled a bit. "Right, like you didn't want to."

"Now, I didn't say that." Saku winked.

To Koyuki, one eye just crinkled more than the other. They had a glad laugh on that. On the other side, Taira and Chiba bantered, the blond finally teasing Chiba about it being a good thing he didn't have a mate and hickeys to hide, to get back on him for the crude remarks he made in front of Eddie Lee. Ryusuke and Eddie were doing sound checks on their guitars, with the long-haired raven throwing quick glances at Koyuki every now and then. Eddie chuckled to himself, thinking, This band sure has good chemistry, but horrible sexual tension. Still, it was great to see Ryusuke slowly changing his lone wolf ways, and he was finally starting to take relationships seriously. But one thing he never thought would happen was the fact that Ryusuke actually experienced his first love. And he had to fall in love with someone as innocent and oblivious as Koyuki. This caused Eddie to chuckle once more.

_Next, you better work on your patience, Ray._

People started coming in. Even Matt showed up eventually, but he seemed drunk for the time being and Saku made sure to usher him into the back room so he wouldn't cause a scene, as per instruction from Ryusuke. Eddie spoke to David about his sudden addition. The _F.V.E._ band member had no qualms at all, having a _Dying Breed_ member play opening out was great publicity.

" _It'd sure help put the incident last night out of everyone's mind, too." David mused. "So it will be like killing two birds with one stone._ "

Eddie chuckled. " _Well, I'm not the star tonight, remember that. I'm just backing up Beck this time around._ " He reminded him. " _Besides, I wouldn't want to take the spotlight off_ Beck _when it's suppose to be them shining._ "

David threw a thumbs up. " _Heh, like eye candy. But that's enough._ " He agreed.

Pretty soon, the show started. Everyone was definitely hyped seeing Eddie Lee in the performance. Of course, once _Beck_ got the ball rolling and Chiba started his song, Eddie Lee wasn't the only one the crowd was cheering loud for. Of course, most of the cheering for Eddie came from Matt, incognito of course. The whole café was packed even more so than yesterday, which was a good thing. It really looked like yesterday's incident will stop trending in the media soon.

But Eddie noticed something when they started their _Brainstorm_ performance. Whenever Koyuki would sing his short part in the song, some attenders, male and females alike, from the front of the crowd nearest to the stage seemed even more desperate to reach out to him. They would come to an abrupt stop when Chiba got his part going on, without Koyuki's voice singing back up. He frowned at that, his suspicions of Koyuki's condition seems to be coming true even more.

" _Ray, hey Ray,_ " He called out quietly as he can towards the other guitarist. " _I need to ask you to do something._ "

Ryusuke raised a brow and leaned in closer. His expression turned even more bewildered upon hearing the request. " _What? Why?_ "

" _I'll explain later,_ " Eddie said as he wore some kind of choker around his neck. " _trust me on this. Unless you want last night's history to repeat itself._ "

Ryusuke frowned, really hesitant with the request, but this was Eddie. He was like a brother. If he couldn't trust him, who else could he trust. But it definitely hurt, especially when he saw the shock expressions of his band mates when he suddenly stole Koyuki's part in singing _Face_ after Chiba's performances. It killed him even more to see how hurt Koyuki had look, and how he tried hiding it, fighting back the tears.

But it didn't compare to the betrayed look Koyuki gave him during their supposed _Slip Out_ performance turned _Dying Breed_ 's _50cent wisdom_. Ryusuke remembered how enthusiastic Koyuki was last night when they had the conversation.

**_Flashback..._ **

_"Why don't we make Slip Out more special in tomorrow's make-up show?"_

_Koyuki cocked his head to the side. "How do we do that?"_

_"Well, we could sing it as a duet," Ryusuke smiled at him, "I've been planning it while I was gone, here's a copy of what part each of us would sing." he showed a piece of a paper that was a bit worn and wrinkled. "What do you say?"_

_"Wow! It seems amazing, but can we really do it tomorrow?" Koyuki looked at the Alpha in the eyes. He had some doubt, but the excitement seem to show more. "I mean, don't we need to practice it more?"_

_Ryusuke shrugged. "With a band as awesome as Beck, I think we can pull it off. We could go through it on rehearsals tomorrow." he said._

_"All right, if you say so." Koyuki looked at the paper. "Wow, this is so exciting!"_

_Ryusuke admired the happiness on Koyuki's face with a fond smile of his own. "Yeah, it sure is."_

**_Present..._ **

Both Ryusuke and Eddie had been the one playing duet that time. Although Eddie did let Ryusuke do most of the singing, it was still obviously a duet. Even Matt, from where he stood among the crowd, looked confused. His confusion didn't seem to be developing to jealousy nor possessiveness, but rather of concern. _Beck_ barely managed to go along with the play, and it was obvious that Koyuki had the hardest time among them all.

As soon as their show was over, Koyuki gave a curt bow, and he didn't even let Taira finish giving his brief opening introduction for _F.V.E._ as he made a quick exit to the back room. Ryusuke cursed under his breath before quickly going after him, followed by Eddie and Chiba. It was only Saku who remained and waited for Taira.

"What happened back there?"

Taira shook his head as he and the Beta walked down the stage. "I don't know, but Ryusuke better explain himself." He muttered darkly.

Saku had to agree with that. More than Beck, Koyuki definitely needed a good explanation. "Let's hurry."

****

──────────────────────────────────────────────────

"Koyuki, about what happened earlier..." Ryusuke started. Eddie just stood to the side for now, respectfully observing.

Koyuki tried to hide the fact that he was crying. "Ah, n-no d-don't look at me." he rubbed at his eyes. The alpha frowned and took the hands off of Koyuki's face, not wanting him to hurt himself. "I-I'm sorry for r-running off the stage like that, it was unfro-professional of me."

Ryusuke shook his head, that wasn't what he wanted to mention at all. The younger omega didn't do anything wrong, but as he was about to voice that, another person did.

"You don't have to fucking apologize, Koyuki. You did nothing wrong." Chiba said firmly, glaring at the alpha. "You have some nerve to comfort him after that stunt you pulled, you bastard."

Ryusuke wanted to snap back, as per instinct to any interaction with Chiba, but he knew he was at the wrong this time.

"Wait Chiba," Koyuki shook his head. "It's fine. It's not a big deal..."

Both alphas stared at the young omega, dumbstruck.

"No, it is definitely a _BIG DEAL_ , Koyuki." Taira said heatedly as he came in. "You may be able to let it slide, but that doesn't go for the rest of us. Ryusuke," he glared fiercer than Chiba had earlier. "What the _FUCK_ was that all about, huh?"

Saku held Taira's hand in an attempt to calm him down, but it didn't mean he wasn't behind him. "If you wanted to play something with Eddie for the show, you could've talked us through it first." he stated. "We've been playing together long enough to afford allowing it."

"Before this get worse," Eddie finally cut in, stepping forward. "let us all be sit down so I explain why I asked Ray do that." he spoke in broken Japanese, but _Beck_ was able to get what he was trying to say. "It might hard me say it in **Nihonggo** though."

Taira frowned, having a hard time himself trying to get the message. He sighed, narrowing his eyes at Ryusuke. "Fine, translate. But you better not sugar coat it on your behalf." he moved to the sofa, Saku following him along with Chiba.

Koyuki looked at Ryusuke in concern, but he knew that Taira wouldn't probably want him siding with the alpha for now. He hated to admit it , but even he felt a bit resentful for what happened earlier. He went to sit beside Saku for now. Ryusuke sighed, he told Eddie he'd translate while giving the blond a glare. Eddie took it in stride, understanding where he was coming from. But he knew they'll be able to forgive him easily once he explained its necessity.

" _First off, I would like to confirm when Koyuki presented as an omega officially._ " Eddie started off. And Ryusuke translated as directly as possible, trying not to hint that he was curious as well.

Taira frowned, cutting Koyuki off before he could respond. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Eddie sighed at the hostility, so he decided to clear the air, even if Japanese was difficult for him. "Let me clear air, Taira. Ryusuke no wrong here. I asked him do the action." He tried to say the best he could. "Please no be no mad anymore at him. You understand why important he did it."

Taira narrowed his eyes, more on confusion than skepticism, but he got the message. " _Fine, I'll listen._ " He nodded his head to Koyuki.

" _Uh... I presented many months after_ Greatful Sound." Koyuki replied.

Eddie nodded. " _Okay, so there is something called an_ Omega Note, _I suspect that even Taira, who has been an omega for a while, hasn't heard of it. Well, that's due to its rarity so not every single omega has it. Percentage is about one out of a dozen._ " The other alpha would dumb it down in the translate as much as he can, because even he didn't understand that much. " _Simply put, it's like an extra pitch or tone produced in some omega vocal chords_." He continued, letting Ryusuke translate. Eddie could see the confusion in their faces, even concern from the two other omegas in the room other than himself. He was sure what they were thinking, wondering how it could effect them if they had it. " _It's not really complicated, just think of it something like a mating call, for omegas who have it, it helps greatly in singing lullabies to their pups, too, making their development enhanced, with various levels of degree depending on the notes effectiveness. It's nothing dangerous, I promise. Well, there will be some precautions to take, though, depending on how great an omega Note you have_."

Koyuki looked like he was thinking hard about something, when he knew how to phrase it, he voiced his concern. " _What you mean Mating call? Could it be... what happened last night, was it because of that?_ " He asked.

Eddie smiled gently. " _I'm glad you're quick to understand. Yes, although I can only speculate since there's no substantial evidence, I would say it's most likely_." He nodded. " _That's why I asked Ray to change the arrangement of your performances. I'm sorry for doing so suddenly_."

" _Ah, no, I see you were trying to help._ " Koyuki assured the man. But he still looked concerned, and Ryusuke felt the same.

Taira frowned, looking at Ryusuke. "What did Koyuki say?" He demanded.

"It seems that this Omega Note is why Koyuki was attacked," Ryusuke promptly translated. "The effect probably gave off the signal that he wanted to attract possible mates, it might be like asking just about anyone to claim you. That's why Ed told me to change the arrangement, so last night wouldn't happen again." he frowned deeply. He almost lost Koyuki to that alpha and didn't even realize it. He shuddered at the thought.

Taira widened his eyes. "Hey, I don't usually sing, but if I did, would that have happened as well?" He asked Eddie.

" _Well, maybe not._ " Eddie didn't need Ryusuke to translate. He knew a little Japanese to understand a bit of what Taira said. Plus, he expected it. "Most omegas who possess the Omega Note usually has a certain number of recessive traits. You can actually have it checked with a doctor, if you want to be sure."

Chiba scratched his head after Ryusuke translated. "Recessive... I know that's Science-y stuff... Uh... Let me try to remember..." he mumbled.

"It's like having naturally blond hair, blue eyes, red eyes, green eyes. Albinism. Being left-handed. You can curl your tongue..." Saku listed off. "Simply put, non-Dominant genetic traits."

"Yeah, that! Exactly!" Chiba just grinned.

Taira narrowed his eyes, smiling dryly. "You're just pretending that you knew that, weren't you?" he said.

" _Is that the only requirement needed?_ " Ryusuke asked.

Eddie shook his head. " _I just said most omegas who have it belong to that category, another possibility of it presenting is if the omega is a late bloomer. Because it means to develop the Note, the body needed time before presenting as an Omega. With this, I can just speculate that,_ " he looked towards Koyuki. " _Your Omega Note seems far more effective than most omegas of the recessive allele who possess an Omega Note, with how late you presented._ "

" _Does..._ " Koyuki frowned. " _Does this mean... If I don't want to be attacked like last night, I can't sing for_ Beck _anymore_?" If that were the case, he wished all the more now that he never presented as an omega at all.

" _Oh, no, no. Koyuki,_ " It was the maternal omega in Eddie that made him reach out to the younger boy, embracing him. He wasn't really a touchy feely person normally, except when his instincts got the best of him. " _Remember what I said about precautions? You can still sing, you just have to be more careful than most when you do. There are a lot of omega singers in America who has an Omega Note, but they are still able to do their profession normally. You just didn't know last night, so it happened that way_."

Koyuki blinked at Eddie in confusion since the English was too fast for him to grasp, but he managed to smile when Ryusuke translated. Everybody else in the room seemed to feel much better, too. They really didn't want to lose Koyuki as a singer, it would not only hurt _Beck_ as a band, but more than that, they knew how much the young omega enjoyed singing once he grew to have more confidence in his ability to sing. Nothing to say about how they couldn't bare never being able to hear Koyuki sing anymore.

" _So, what are these precautions_?" Ryusuke asked.

Eddie ruffled Koyuki's hair one more time before moving back to his previous position. " _Well, I guess I should mention the most effective and long-term solution first, which is the fact you need to be bonded to an alpha. Unfortunately, being a beta which are considered neutrals so the Note would still have its effect in full. In my case, I have Matt. It doesn't really mean that other alphas or betas even would no longer be attracted or affected by my Note. But it does help lessen the degree. It's like how alphas scents their omegas to mark them as theirs._ " He told them, and let Ryusuke translate.

" _You called for me?_ " It was then that Matt showed up, taking space beside his mate. " _What was that earlier, Ed? You didn't say anything about actually singing._ "

Eddie smiled at Matt fondly. " _It was spontaneous. Sorry, but I'm okay. Nothing happened, you saw that much. But see, Koyuki's like me._ " He nodded towards the younger omega. " _And I was just explaining how an Omega Note works_."

Matt hummed in understanding.

"Wait, now hold up" Taira spoke up, seemingly a little ticked off. "Koyuki won't even have a right to choose what type of mate he wants? To protect himself long term, you're telling me his only choice is to be guarded by an Alpha all his life"

Koyuki looked a little surprise. "Uh, Taira, are you okay?"

"No, I'm not, and you shouldn't be either." Taira snapped. "Important decisions like someone you want to spend your whole life with shouldn't be dependent on Biological needs. You should be able to choose who you want your partner to be, regardless if he might be an alpha, a beta, or hell, another omega."

Eddie frowned. " _Well Taira, I'm sorry you feel that way. But you have to know there are limits to how much you can control Biological instincts. I know you seem the type who wants to be independent most of the time. But an Omega usually has a need to please someone, may it be an Alpha or a Beta." he told him. "Besides, isn't having Saku now better than relying on yourself during heats? It's not so bad to be protected every now and then, either. Is it?_ "

"Don't," Taira scowled after Ryusuke translated, "don't use the _mate_ card on me now.

Ryusuke raised a brow, "Isn't it, though? I mean, you practically adore Saku."

Aforementioned beta turns red.

Taira gave Saku a glance. Saku smiled at him, and nodded. He held out his hand and waited. Taira sighed, smiling as he took it. "Yeah, well, as long as it's Yuji. I guess I tolerate it."

Eddie chuckled.

Koyuki was still blushing because of the talk of him choosing a mate, feeling it too soon to even consider a partner in life. It's not like he had suitors lined up unlike Taira back when he was still a single omega. But he did see Taira's point, he did want a say on who he'd mate with, if ever he was lucky enough to have a mate. "But... I do want to keep singing, if that's the only way... Wait," He widened his eyes. "Does that mean I have to wait for an alpha to consider me to be his mate before I can sing again? But that might never even happen!"

Chiba and Saku glanced at each other, smirks in their faces before they started snickering. Ryusuke looked conflicted. Despite himself, even Taira found himself smiling a bit. Eddie chuckled himself. Matt didn't really care much, he was still a bit in his hungover stage from drinking too much in the morning. So he laid his head on Eddie's lap.

" _Well, I did say that was the best option. But it's not the only one_ ," Eddie assured Koyuki, reaching inside his jacket pocket. He pulled out the choker he wore from earlier. " _Just like the suppressants some omegas take to control their heats, some countries have an Alter choker like this one_." He held it out. " _The idea is that when an omega produces the Note, the choker somehow helps control the sound waves, altering the Omega Note so it would sound different. Of course, it wouldn't be completely erased. More or less, its effects will be minimized. Here Koyuki, you can have this. I don't usually sing anyway, plus I can always get a new one since it's easy to find in America. Japan may not have it yet_."

Koyuki took it gingerly. He was unsure to accept such a gift, it was probably expensive, too. But he really wanted to keep singing. " _Why wouldn't Japan have it?_ "

" _Well, there was this recent survey. Not a whole lot of medical experts in Japan even heard of an Omega Note, the reasoning being there was never a diagnosis of its attributes being commonly discovered. Since it's not a fatal medical condition or anything, researching it might not even be a priority._ " Eddie shrugged. " _My guess is there may not be too many Japanese singers who possesses an Omega Note. But as advanced as Japan is, maybe there are still some looking into it._ "

 _Beck_ seemed to accept the reasoning well enough.

" _It's always better to have a spare, too, in case anything happens. But since you're only here for today, I'll try sending a package to Ryusuke when I get another one in the future_." Eddie promised.

Koyuki blinked at that. " _Ah, no, this is more than enough._ " He bowed his head. " _I wouldn't want to bother you_."

" _It's no problem at all._ " Eddie smiled. " _Us omegas have to help each other, right? And your a good kid, Koyuki. If I can manage anything to make this easier for you, then it wouldn't be a bother for me to do it. You're important to Ray, after all_." Koyuki blushed and widened his eyes. Ryusuke let out a strangled sound. " _You and_ Beck _are like Ray's family, and since I do see him as a brother, then you're family to me, too._ "

Ryusuke seemed relieved, but still looked like he would hit Eddie. Koyuki's blush lessened a bit, but he did seem somewhat disappointed, too. But he had no idea why. Eddie was just smiling knowingly towards Ray. The rest of _Beck_ tried not to crack up at the exchange.

They continued to talk everything and nothing at all, till David finally came in to personally let them know they were calling it a night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I take too long to update. I already had a plan how to end this chapter so it had to run a little long. Maybe the next ones will vary from being short to long depending on how long is appropriate without it being too dragging or too cut off. I hope I can go back to updating regularly. A small miracle, since I am working now and no longer a student.
> 
> Also, this follows the Anime plot. Events strictly on the Manga did not and will not happen.


	7. Omega Pride

Ryusuke knew they had an early start tomorrow. But that didn't stop him from having a beer or two with Eddie late into the night. Not only because it might be a while before he sees his fraternal friend again, but he wanted to see if there were other things the omega knew about the omega Note. Eddie had kept reiterating that it wasn't dangerous in itself, but that didn't stop situations relating to it being dangerous.

" _Well, I guess there is some cause for concern in that regard. But the discovery of the Note isn't usually as dramatic as how it had been with Koyuki last night,_ " Eddie assured him. " _I kinda discovered it the usual way, through observation and when I went to check with my Omega Doctor. When Matt and I started living together, whenever I'd sing random lyrics back then since I was composing songs for him, he'd shut up and listen almost every single time. Which he never does, even when we were talking about important matters._ "

Ryusuke nodded, having another swig from his can. " _But you did mention earlier that your Note is about a normal degree, just like most others who have it._ " He pointed out. " _I guess I'm just saying it's the unusual that we should be worried about._ "

" _I suppose you're right there. But I pretty much told you all I know, the best you could do for now is watch over Koyuki whenever he sings and, of course, keep checking the condition of the *ACho._ " Eddie then smiled slowly. " _You really are serious about this kid, aren't you?_ "

Ryusuke blushed, but he was tired of playing it off. " _Yeah, yeah, a miracle I know,_ " he sighed. " _If I hadn't been so focused with making the_ Ultimate Band _and surpassing you, I would've probably noticed earlier and we'd probably be dating by now._ "

" _Heh, well, I'm glad you're taking this slow._ " Eddie said, truly meaning it. " _Koyuki just recently presented, I'm sure it's taking him a while to adjust. But with how everything seemed to be going too fast, he might be overwhelmed. You definitely wouldn't want him thinking you only started hitting on him because of that part of him being an omega. _"__

____

____

Ryusuke stared at his drink with contemplation. " _Yeah, exactly._ " he sighed deeply. " _I just really hope my self-control can handle it. For now, I think I'll just keep myself busy with_ Beck."

" _Yeah, but don't forget, you all got to look out for him real well in this time._ " Eddie said, suddenly looking stern. " _Koyuki's a sweet kid, and there are aggressive alphas out there who would use that to their advantage. They wouldn't offer him the chance to adjust in his own pace._ "

Ryusuke glared at Eddie. But the older omega knew it wasn't directed to him, but to the thought he presented itself. " _Trust me,_ " he muttered. " _that goes without saying._ "

Ryusuke headed back up to his room a moment later. He didn't expect to see Koyuki outside the door to his room—technically, Saku, Chiba, and his room. He looked unsure, with a fist up to the door, like he couldn't decide whether to knock or not. Of course, with how late it is, he probably figured what the reason was. He chuckled lightly.

Koyuki heard it and looked to his way in panic. But he relaxed visibly when he saw that it was Ryusuke. He ran up to him quickly. That was enough to make the alpha's day—or night.

"Hey, I'm surprise to see you still up." Ryusuke mused. "Is everything okay?"

Koyuki nodded. "Yeah, nothing's wrong. Um... Ryusuke, you are coming with us tomorrow, right?" he bit his lip. "I mean, I know it's stupid, Taira told me that it'd be obvious. But you were gone this morning... And even though I know meeting up with Eddie this morning was probably spontaneous... Well, I just... I guess I wanted to hear it from you."

"And that's why you're still up? Ah, Koyuki." Ryusuke rubbed the back of his head. His heart throb in guilt. "I'm sorry for making you worry all this time. But believe me when I say I'm back for good, and I'm not leaving yo— _Beck_ anymore." he said sincerely and hoped the omega believed him. "And... About earlier's performance, I'm sorry about that, too."

Koyuki raised a brow in confusion before remembering. He blinked. "Ah, no. It's... I don't mind anymore, I understand now that you and Eddie were just looking out for my well-being. I should be thankful." he told the Alpha in a rush.

"Yeah, to Eddie. I had no idea about the _Note_ at the time. I've no excuse, and I know I really hurt you." Ryusuke shook his head. "I'm sorry."

Koyuki looked flustered. He really wasn't used to the alpha being apologetic. But he had to admit, it wasn't a bad thing. "It really is okay. I feel like I should apologize, too."

"Huuuuh?" Ryusuke couldn't believe this kid. "What the hell for?"

"Well, I guess... For not trusting you enough? That there was a good reason for it... I mean, you did just put Sykes in jail so _Beck_ could continue playing without his interference."

Ryusuke face palmed. "You're seriously too kind, Koyuki." he sighed. "But you gotta stop finding things to blame yourself for. You did nothing wrong, this was all me hands down."

Koyuki just chuckled.

"Why the fuck are you laughing?" Ryusuke grumbled, but with no real heat. "I'm serious here."

Koyuki shook his head. "I guess... I'm just glad, that's all."

"Huh?" Ryusuke raised a brow. "Glad about what?"

"I thought that you didn't want me in Beck anymore." Koyuki admitted. Ryusuke widened his eyes. "That's the only reason I could think of as to why my solo routines were the only things being changed in today's arrangement. I thought maybe you wanted Eddie or someone else to play the role." He shook his head. "I realize now that's stupid." He started getting teary-eyed again. "Ugh, not again, I got teary just thinking of it, damn it. It's the stupid hormones, sorry. It's making me sensitive." He rubbed at his eyes. "I'm fine, let me just wipe them off."

Ryusuke embraced Koyuki before he could tell himself not to. He didn't know if it was due to the fact that his alpha instincts were telling him to protect a distressed omega, or if it was really his true feelings to console the boy. But he did know this wasn't about claiming him then and there. If it was just the alpha in him, it would probably get sexual real soon. As it was, he just stood still, content with Koyuki in his arms.

Koyuki widened his eyes. The tears stopped flowing, but there were still remnants in the brim of his lids. "R-Ryusuke? What..."

"Koyuki, _Beck_ will never replace you." Ryusuke pulled away but held him by the shoulders. "I will never replace you, got that? _Beck_ would never be the same without all five us, all the more you. And if I ever gave that impression during the performance, then I want you to know that I am really, truly sorry." he stepped back and actually gave a straight bow.

Koyuki widened his eyes in surprise. Ryusuke, who never really bothered with common Japanese courtesy, was actually apologizing with a **seiritsu** bow. He waves his arms frantically. "Ah, n-no, please don't do that, Ryusuke. I admit, I was hurt in the beginning, but I understand now. It really is okay, you don't have to apologize anymore." he pushed Ryusuke back to his upright position.

"Then, maybe you can just consider it an apology from before." Ryusuke insisted. "when I was too hard on you during that whole guitar misunderstanding or when I was harsh about your songwriting."

Koyuki shook his head even more. "That was an even longer time ago!"

"Please Koyuki," Ryusuke sighed deeply. Koyuki stopped and stared at how serious Ryusuke's expression has gotten. "Let me apologize. I want to make things right with us, and not just by being in the receiving end. If you can apologize for these things you think you did wrong, then let me apologize for actually being in the wrong. Even if I am your friend, you can't go easy on me when it comes to this. You deserve an apology for all the shit I've done."

Koyuki bit his lip. There really wasn't much for him to forgive at this point in time, but Ryusuke was making sense. "O-okay Ryusuke, I accept the apology." he told him, smiling a bit. "Thank you."

"I should be saying that." Ryusuke smiled dryly. "Really, I know I'm not exactly easy to put up with."

Koyuki chuckled wearily. He had to admit, that was true. "Well, it was worth it in the end." he told him. "I'm glad I got into music."

"Yeah," Ryusuke smiled secretly. "I am, too."

Koyuki wasn't really sure, if Ryusuke meant he was glad he himself got into music, or if he was glad that Koyuki had gotten into music. He didn't want to assume anything or implicate things, so he just nodded his head and wished him good night.

****

──────────────────────────────────────────────────

When Taira woke up in the morning, Koyuki looked like he had just finished showering. He blinked away the sleep from his eyes and gave out a big yawn, he looked out the window and was glad to see the sun wasn't up yet. They needed to check out by 7am, and be on the road thirty minutes after that. Maybe they could go pass a _Drive Thru_ for breakfast. He gathered some clothes and headed to the bathroom.

"Uh, Taira?" Koyuki called out, eyeing the disorganized pile of stuff bundled on Taira's bed. Even his bass case was there. He had no idea Taira was such a messy sleeper. _Wait, what's Saku's jacket and sweatshirt doing here? Hey! That's the hoodie I was looking for yesterday!_ He looked over to the older omega. "Is it okay if I clear your stuff here? Since we gotta leave in an hour and all. I'll be careful to pack them neatly."

Taira suddenly looked more awake and almost stumbled on his feet. "D-don't touch it, Koyuki!"

"Eh?" Koyuki froze in place just as he was about to pick up his hoodie and Saku's sweatshirt from the pile.

The older omega looked a little chagrined. "Sorry for snapping, Koyuki." He sighed, rubbing his forehead. "But that's my Nest, so please don't bother it."

"Nest?" Koyuki stared at it. He knew about bird's nests, but this was a bit different.

Taira blinked, no longer sleepy. "Uh, you don't know what a Nest is?"

"I do, but this is..." Koyuki continued staring in confusion.

Taira face palmed. He really didn't want to judge, but maybe Koyuki's mother needed to help the kid out a little better. "I'll tell you about it later, but for now, hands off. Okay?" He said before entering the bathroom.

Koyuki was still pretty confused but he left the pile alone and tried fixing things that weren't in it's vicinity. Taira later explained to him what a Nest is, or in this case, what an omega's Nest actually is. It seems like it was a self-made haven where an omega would gather a bunch of random but still somehow meaningful items into a pile and surround themselves in it. Apparently, Taira did this to cope with frustrations or, in this case, homesickness. He missed being able to understand people on his own without translators, too. Plus, his disagreement with Koyuki having no choice but to bond with an alpha only eventually still ticked him off, he'd only be able to accept it if it was Ryusuke.

Usually, a nest would consist of items important or significant to the omega, which would explain why Taira had Saku's clothes. Koyuki didn't know if he was more touched by the fact that he was considered significant or weird out that Taira had slept with his hoodie. He chose to dwell on the better feeling. And it seems, omegas can be territorial of their built nest. Ergo, why Taira snapped at him earlier.

"I thought you knew about it, since you did ask me to order more pillows and we even built a fort with them when you had your Heat on our twelfth week on Tour." Taira narrowed his eyes at how Ryusuke swallowed thickly, probably to the thought of Koyuki in Heat. _The guy should only think of the road in front of him. Not listening on the conversation._ He rolled his eyes. _Typical Alphas._ "I remember you even called me mom during that one Hea—"

Koyuki panicked and covered his mouth. "Don't remind me! Ugh, my mom and I would build forts a lot when I was a kid. My mind was in a haze, I couldn't tell memory from reality." he covered his face in shame. "I would cuddle with her a lot, too... Oh no! Did I..." Taira smiled, and that answered the unspoken question. "Ahh! I must've been so clingy!"

"It's okay Koyuki, I was flattered even if a little shocked." Taira chuckled. "and don't be ashamed. It's normal for an omega to be a bit touch-starved, even more so in Heats." He was surprise at his innocence, though. Calling out to his mom during Heats and not being whiny of how horny he was. If he could make a guess, he probably couldn't tell that he was. Even with Maho, kissing her was as bold as he could get. Taira seriously wanted to preserve the kid's innocence a little longer. He nuzzled the top of Koyuki's head.

The younger omega purred quietly that only Taira heard it. The blond smiled. Saku smiled as he watched their interaction. If it was anyone else but Koyuki that Taira was talking amiably with, it might make him insecure. As it was, he was happy seeing his mate's maternal side towards his best friend. The beta couldn't help but go about daydreaming about a possible future. Sure, there was a small chance that a beta could impregnate an Omega, whether it be a male or female. But he always tried to be an optimist, so small chances were better than no chances at all. But for now, he was simply content watching the two Omegas in their element.

Chiba, of course, wasn't content. He didn't even notice the mood. "Jeez Taira, why can't you be a gentle mom with me, too? I always get the nagging end." he complained obnoxiously. Taira gave him a glare, annoyed that the bubble has burst. Chiba was oblivious to it. "But wow Koyuki, a pillow fort? That's adorable and all, but kinda elementary." he wasn't being mean about it. But Chiba was always a bit too honest at times, and a bit too rash, running his mouth before thinking.

Koyuki looked embarrassed, covering his face with the guitar case he kept his _Telecaster_ in. Ryusuke growled a bit, feeling somewhat defensive for Koyuki. Saku sighed, face palming at Chiba's tactless remark.

But no one expected Taira to be the one actually punching the guy.

Of course, it wasn't that much of a violent one, more like a little jab than anything else. But Taira did look furious. Koyuki forgot his embarrassment and stared wide-eyed at the older omega. Actually, everyone was. Ryusuke even pulled the van over, wanting to see how this was gonna turn out. Saku reached out to hold his omega's hand. Taira calmed down a bit but still looked annoyed.

"Fuck, what the HELL Tair—!" Chiba choked back his exclamation upon seeing Taira's still pissed look.

Taira jabbed a finger on his chest. "Chiba, even if you are a good friend and I appreciate that you don't stereotype me as a fragile omega that needs protecting, I am still an omega. And one of the things you don't get to do is make fun of an omega's natural instinct ESPECIALLY an omega's way of nesting." The blond growled. "Even as a joke, it's a red flag. Alphas may be the most dominant secondary gender, but don't forget we omegas are people, and we have our pride, too." He turned to Koyuki and held his shoulder. "and don't you forget that either." Taira told him, but in a much gentler tone. "If making a pillow fort is one of your ways of nesting, then don't you dare let anyone make fun of it. Understand?"

Koyuki stared at him, before nodding slowly. "Thanks, Taira." he smiled a bit. He was glad he had another omega to rely on during his adjusting period. More than that, he was glad it was Taira looking out for him.

Chiba apologized and Taira forgave him easily enough. And everyone was pretty sure that Chiba wasn't gonna run his mouth next time, or at the very least, Chiba wouldn't forget an omega's pride any time soon, they sure weren't gonna forget Taira's. The alpha suddenly had great respect for Saku, who was currently soothing the omega bassist's nerves and was actually dating said bassist.

****

──────────────────────────────────────────────────

It's been four and a half months since the tour started last May, and after another week it would be October meaning the tour would be over. Which Koyuki was grateful for. Not to be mistaken, it really has been a great experience and he was glad to be a part of it. Of course there were ups and downs along the way. With the band complete, it also meant Chiba and Ryusuke going back to their usual routine bickering. But never as one so bad like that time in _Greatful Sound_. What Koyuki was really relieved about is how he wouldn't be going through his heat cycle until they got home to Japan. It was even greater that he didn't have to go through it this September.

After one of their shows in _Boston, Massachusetts_ they had an After party. Since it was the second to the last state. After the next state, _Beck_ would be receiving their pay then they'll leave for Japan right after their show there. So they wouldn't be able to attend the concluding State tour After party. So this counted as an early celebration in _Beck_ 's behalf.

As always, Chiba was the life of the party. Or at the very least, he caused most of the noise in the party. Taira was the designated driver, so he kept the Alcohol light. Saku kept watch and made sure nobody tried to spike their drinks, especially Taira's. He knew and felt enough alpha hormones trying to win over his omega, probably not even sensing the fact that he's already mated since Saku was just a beta and his was, therefore, not overpowering. But since they weren't being crude or indecent about it, he decided not to be bold or aggressive as well... For now.

Ryusuke drank enough that would still allow his senses to be kept sharp. While the atmosphere was friendly, since majority of the people present seemed to be alphas, he wanted to protect his pack, specifically both omegas. Even though he knew Saku got Taira's back and they're bonded, it would still be difficult for just both of them to put on a defense if some alphas decided to go aggressive.

Not to mention the fact that their other omega was fresh meat, too. But at least Koyuki didn't drink either, not that he ever really did anyway. No matter the insisting or friendly peer pressure on Chiba's part, the young omega never liked the smell of it, never mind the taste. He mostly kept himself entertained by watching Chiba trying and failing to woo over some omega girls. Chiba wobbled back to their table, completely flushed and tipsy. Koyuki chuckled, patting the alpha on the back. He noticed his face was really red, and that his own glass of Ice tea was running out. Ryusuke was talking with one of the members of F.V.E. so he missed Koyuki leaving to get Chiba a glass of water and a refill his own glass. The place was air conditioned, but with so many people, the young omega felt like it was getting hotter by the minute.

After getting the drinks, Koyuki headed back to the table, acknowledging any people he knew like _F.V.E._ band members or their agency's body guards incognito. Too bad _Beck_ didn't have body guards of their own, because suddenly there were two tall alphas standing in his way. They smiled nicely enough, but Koyuki knew better than to stay longer in their presence than necessary.

" _Hey, you're one of Beck Mongolian Chop Squad's singers, right_?"

Koyuki nodded slowly, his courtesy getting the best of him. " _Uh, yeah. I'm from Beck._ " he offered.

" _Wow, good in English, too,_ " The other one said. " _That makes it easier for us to talk,_ "

Koyuki swallowed thickly, the bar really needed to get their air condition checked, it was too hot. He wondered how other people could bear it.

" _Sorry, excuse me, my friend needs a glass of water now,_ " Koyuki tried to moved pass them, but they wouldn't get out of his way.

One of them placed a hand on Koyuki's shoulder. " _We thought you sang real well tonight_ ," his smile didn't seem so friendly anymore. " _Why don't you give us a private performance?_ "

Koyuki shivered when the guy brushed over his sweat gland and he was starting to get real dizzy. "N-no..."

Both Alphas widened his eyes. " _Woah, you're that sensitive?_ " They smirked at each other. " _This is gonna be more exciting than I thought._ "

Koyuki widened his eyes when he felt himself being dragged away. " _No, let me go!_ " he exclaimed a pitch higher.

The two alphas were frozen in shock, the omega's cry hitting them hard. But it gave Koyuki enough time to get away and he ended up running into Taira.

"No, let go!" Koyuki whined, not realizing who it was, just the hands holding him firmly. "I don't like to!"

Taira blinked, pulling him aside and away from the crowd dancing their libido off. "Woah, Koyuki calm down, it's me." Once Koyuki realize who it was, he relaxed and Taira held him tighter. "You had us worried Chiba said you got him a drink and we wondered what took you. I'm glad you're okay," The older omega said before seeing Koyuki's flush cheeks, "Oh no, Koyuki, you weren't given any weird drinks, were you?"

"N-no, I haven't been drinking anything but ice tea all night." Koyuki sniffled. "It's just so hot in here, I don't know how people can deal with it." he nuzzled his face into the front of Taira's trademark yellow jacket. "How are you still able to wear a jacket?"

Taira raised a brow. The _AC_ was turned to the max, sure it wasn't as cold as it could've been with all the people crowded in place, but since he wasn't drinking too much Alcohol, the coldness was still felt. That's when he started smelling something off. "Oh my god, Koyuki, we have to get you back to the van before you get into an early heat." Taira immediately pushed passed the crowd to get to the exit. He forgot that since Koyuki was technically a recently presented omega, too much alphas pheromones can push him to a heat off-schedule.

Koyuki blinked, barely able to register what Taira just said. "H-huh? No, I'm not having a cycle until October..."

"Shit. Shit, This is bad." Taira cursed under his breath, he can't let Koyuki go into a heat with so many people around. He reached for the disposable phones _F.V.E._ 's agency gave them to use for contacting while in America. He texted Saku to grab the other guys and head back to the van.

He didn't realize two alphas on his tail.

****

──────────────────────────────────────────────────

Taira got Koyuki back and laid him inside the van. At the very least, Koyuki's heat wouldn't hit until they find a motel to stay in. Of course, they're going to have to let _F.V.E._ know about the sudden off-schedule heat. Since the tour was almost over anyway, perhaps they'd get a leeway delay in heading to the next state.

"Hey," Taira flinched when he caught an unfamiliar scent of not one but two alphas. He turned around and immediately glared at the two intruders, so obviously letting out their hormones to impose their dominance. He slid the van door close. "It's okay, we just want the omega with the sexy voice whom you're hiding inside the van."

"Yeah, we're gentlemen. We wouldn't lay our hands on a bonded Omega."

Taira stood his ground. It pissed him off that he had no idea what they're saying. But, at the very least, he knew enough English words to make a response. " _Fuck off, assholes._ "

The two men widened their eyes, before they started growling. Taira's inner omega made him shudder but he immediately shook it off to growl right back. " _Hey you bitch, you're just an omega. We're the Alphas here,_ " One of them stomped his foot. " _Submit!_ "

Taira growled even fiercer.

"Fine! Then we'll just go through you first!"

Taira yelped when the two alphas suddenly grabbed him. He struggled in their grasp wildly. Suddenly, to Taira's horror, the van door slid open from the inside and Koyuki jumped out. Even though he looked weak and afraid, he rushed towards the alphas.

"No, leave him alone!"

One of the Alphas immediately noticed. " _Oh there you are,_ " He licked his lips. " _Just the omega we wanted to see,_ " he grabbed Koyuki who immediately got him in the chin. " _Ow! Fuck, c'mere!_ "

"NO!" Koyuki whined. "Taira!"

Taira fought even more fiercer and managed to break free since the alphas were distracted with Koyuki's sudden appearance. He ran towards Koyuki and held him close to his body. Koyuki whimpered and hid his face in the older omega's shirt. Taira's glare got even fiercer and his growl rumbled deeper.

" _Damn, why are these omegas so stubborn?_ "

" _Hold it right there!_ " The two alphas froze, turning around to see the rest of _Beck_ with _F.V.E._ 's body guards.

Ryusuke growled at the alphas. " _You damn fucks, are you insane?_ " He really wanted to punch them. But David stopped him, his eyes were trained to the two guilty alphas though.

" _There's no way an omega would submit when he feels that his own life or another omega's life is threatened. Even omegas are known to be able to attack to protect their own._ " David shook his head. " _You sorry excuses for alphas._ "

Security immediately apprehended the two offenders. Ryusuke and Chiba were about to move towards their band mates to check for injuries but they stopped in surprise when Taira growled at them too.

"What the hell, Taira, it's us!" Chiba protested.

Saku shook his head. "He's still in protective mode, Chiba. To him, both you and Ryusuke are just another alpha imposing dominance." He went towards his mate cautiously, reaching out with a hand. When Taira didn't protest, Saku went closer step by step until he was finally at his side. At that moment, Taira buried his face to the crook of Saku's shoulder and started sobbing, Koyuki pressed between them. He sniffed Saku's scent and wrapped his arms around his best friend's torso. "Shh, shh, Yoshi. Koyuki, it's okay. I'm here, I'm here." He rubbed circles behind both omegas back. The beta didn't care for a moment that there were other people, he licked his mate's sweat gland, right where his bite mark was, to calm him down. Taira moaned in approval.

Ryusuke and Chiba were dumbstruck. "How in the world..."

" _Saku's the one bonded with your bassist, right?_ " David asked, looking at Ryusuke.

Ryusuke nodded slowly.

" _What's even powerful than an alpha's dominance is a bond between mates. Actually, I think nothing else can beat a bond between mates._ " David smiled a bit. " _In Koyuki's case, I think he felt too threatened by the two alphas imposing their dominance on him and their assault on his friend. But he has no problem accepting a beta's scent._ "

Ryusuke seemed to have understand. " _I guess it helps that Saku's his best friend, too._ " He murmured mostly to himself, also assuring himself that he wouldn't have to fight Saku for Koyuki's heart. He shook his head. He really needed to control his alpha instincts more if he didn't want Koyuki to fear him. " _Thanks for your help, David._ "

" _No problem. I'm just glad you came finding us first,_ " David shook hands with Ryusuke. " _Not only would it look irresponsible on our part if anything happened to you guys while you were under our wing, we managed to prevent it from escalating. Both our bands don't need bad publicitiy._ "

Ryusuke smiled at him, thinking maybe he could like David after all. Then, he and Chiba noticed Saku beckoning to come over. They looked at each other unsurely before approaching the three of them. Saku told them that both Koyuki and Taira were a little stressed and touch starved. Plus, they needed some place more comfortable than the van to stay for the next few nights. The two alphas frowned upon hearing that Koyuki might be going into an early heat. Ryusuke addressed this problem to David. He agreed to book them some rooms in a motel nearby and allowed them to follow them to the next state when the week was up. David made some calls to get some albums ready so they could do an Album signing while waiting for _Beck_ to arrive once they got there.

When they got to the motel, Koyuki made a surprise request.

"You want to make a nest... With us?" Ryusuke blinked. "Like... Even me and Chiba? But... We're alphas, you know."

Koyuki nodded as Taira was setting up the pillow fort. They weren't going to use the bed. Instead, they sprawled the soft blankets on the floor as a makeshift mattress, pretending it was a futon. "When Taira and I went to get me checked up in a nearby clinic for some medications, the doctor said I wouldn't go through my heat till tomorrow afternoon. While it's still okay, I want to make a nest out all of us."

"Koyuki," Saku chuckled. "you're asking us to puppy pile."

Koyuki looked at his best friend in confusion. "Huh? But Taira said a Nest is made of stuff an omega is comfortable with. I'm still not feeling very safe, so it'd help if you I had all you guys around."

Ryusuke felt his heart beat faster, knowing that even though he was an alpha, Koyuki can find himself able to feel safe with him around. That really gives him great comfort. It even gives him greater comfort to try and not think about the part that Chiba was inclusive to that idea.

Taira smiled gently, shaking his head as he combed up stray hair from Koyuki's forehead. "I'll explain tomorrow. For now, we all need rest." He looked at the two alphas, especially Ryusuke giving them a warning look that sent a straight message. _Try anything and you're dead._

Ryusuke and Chiba nodded firmly.

 _Beck_ settled into Koyuki's pillow fort. Koyuki rested his head on Taira's lap, with Saku spooning the blond from behind. Chiba was a fidgety sleeper, so to be safe, he stayed close to the edge of the blankets to avoid kicking anyone, especially Koyuki and Taira. Ryusuke stayed on Koyuki's other side, caressing the sleeping omega's cheek. Taira gave him one more warning look. Ryusuke rolled his eyes, sighing. He looked at Koyuki one more time, and not able to stop himself, he kissed his forehead before shutting his own eyes and going to sleep himself, totally missing how Koyuki smiled in his sleep.

But Taira was able to see it, and that made him smile himself.


	8. Omega Home

Ryusuke sat at the lobby couch, almost tempted to actually sleep there for the night. He needed time to himself, or more specifically, time away from the boisterous chaos that is Chiba's company.

It's been four days. Four _boring, loud_ days for the alphas of _Beck_.

There really wasn't much to do in the Motel. With Chiba's noise, Ryusuke couldn't even concentrate on song writing. Since they were located near the Highway exiting the State, it was too much hassle not to mention a waste of gas to go to the nearest mall. Saku was better off, being the only one Taira allowed to come into Koyuki's room. It wasn't just because the beta was his Mate, but with Koyuki being touch-starved during his heat, he could use an extra person aside from Taira to cuddle with.

Even though the younger omega wished it was the whole band, Taira wouldn't budge. He trusted Ryusuke and Chiba, but that didn't mean he underestimated an alpha's instincts, let alone their libido when they smelled an omega in heat. Ryusuke didn't know what annoyed him more, the fact that Saku was able to comfort Koyuki during his heat or that he didn't have any other companion but Chiba most of the time. Spending time with Beck and Keith weren't great alternatives, either, since the two dogs just kept barking at any human life, friendly or not. He could tell the latter felt the same way. Chiba wouldn't stop whining about how much of a lucky bastard Saku was.

But Ryusuke figured it pissed him off more that both Taira and Koyuki had been left defenseless. He had a nightmare on their second night in the Motel of what might've happened if they were a minute too late. He shuddered. It wasn't just bad thinking of what might have happened to Koyuki, but to Taira too. Saku's quiet about it in front of Taira, but he did open up to him about feeling so bad that he wasn't there when his omega needed him most. And Saku was a beta. If it had been him, the guilt would be greater knowing how he failed as an alpha to protect a mate, or in this case, the mate he wanted for himself.

"Hey," Ryusuke looked up and saw Taira approaching him with a knowing smirk. "Chiba keeping you up?"

Ryusuke scowled. "You don't know the half of it, being in fucking paradise with your mate and a fellow omega." he grumbled.

"Hey, having heats and taking care of someone in a heat isn't a picnic either." Taira protested, but still with a smile. He had to admit, more bonding time with Saku even when they were spoiling Koyuki half the time was better than having to handle Chiba, especially in Ryusuke's case. Even Koyuki may have more patience in keeping the Afro-alpha company if he wasn't the one having his heat. "Anyway, Koyuki seems less needy now, he can afford being content with just one companion to cuddle with. I think we'll be able to hit the road tomorrow at twelve noon."

Ryusuke bit his lip. Koyuki wouldn't even have to go through this heat if they were more watchful. While Taira blamed himself for forgetting that the low tolerance of newly presented omegas can push them to an Early heat if they are overwhelmed by the scent and pheromones of numerous alphas, as the unspoken Head alpha, he should've been more alert about it.

"Taira, I'm sorry about that night." Ryusuke looked down and rubbed the back of his head. "It was my bad for not being watchful enough. I knew Koyuki wasn't really much of a bar person, I should've suggested another place to celebrate no matter how it would make our band's image look." He looked up at Taira and was taken aback by the narrowed eyed expression the omega was sending his way. "What's with the look?"

Taira shook his head, chuckling. "Dude, I appreciate how you're more apologetic than you used to be. But it's still kinda eerie. Not to mention you're wearing it out," he mused. "It's okay, we both messed up, but we can learn from it. The most important thing is nothing bad happened to Koyuki."

"Or you," Ryusuke interjected. "it was great you were able to hold out as long as you could, but you shouldn't have been put in a position like that in the first place. As an alpha, me and Chiba should've been more careful."

Taira laughed, shaking his head. "Like I said, I'm not any ordinary omega. I can handle myself to an extent, but thanks for caring." Out of instinct, he patted Ryusuke's head. "So stop beating yourself up for something that's already done with. Just do a better job in watching over your pack next time, Head alpha." he teased.

"Heh, whatever you say, mom." Ryusuke teased back, smirking.

Suddenly, a panic cry rang through the corridors. "YOSHIIIIII, HELP!"

"Uh oh," Taira winced. "Sorry Ryusuke, I better get back before Koyuki finally violates my beta." he made a dash to the third room.

Ryusuke gaped before grumbling in envy.

"Was that Saku?" Chiba popped his head out the door across from the one Taira just ran into. The omega quickly slammed the door. The Afro-alpha huffed. "Rude."

Ryusuke planted his face flat upon the surface of a coffee table. "Lucky bastard, all right."

  ──────────────────────────────────────────────────

Koyuki was grateful that Saku was the greatest, most understanding best friend in the world. But that definitely didn't stop him from being mortified once his heat had passed. He was relieved that things didn't change between them once the awkwardness of the incident died down. Saku did learn never to underestimate an omega in Heat. He only thought Taira had been needy because they were bonded, he didn't expect that Koyuki would get _THAT_ clingy even when he could tell that Saku was bonded in his Heat-induced state. He definitely expected the envious glares of Ryusuke that the alpha kept throwing him for at least two days, though.

Two days later, it was their final performance for the tour.

Beck lined up and locked took each others hands for the final bow. Koyuki held hands with Ryusuke during the bow and the alpha smiled at him, giving a firm squeeze once. He figured it was due to the adrenaline when he felt his pulse beat just a little faster. Taira introduced _F.V.E._ one last time before they went down the stage.

After the show, _Beck_ got their pay. David saw them off at the airport while the rest of his band went ahead to the after party. He thanked them for their great playing and said to keep in touch. " _Maybe you can get us to open your acts someday, too, once you get your own label._ " David mused.

Ryusuke smirked, " _Maybe if you're good enough._ " he said in jest. " _We'll be more famous than you someday, after all._ "

" _Haha, cocky bastard._ " David huffed good-naturedly. He shook his hands with the raven alpha. " _See you on the flip side, Ray._ "

Ryusuke nodded.

" _It's been great, Tanaka._ " David said, turning to the omega, holding his hand out.

Koyuki nodded, smiling politely to the vocalist. " _Thanks for everything, David-san._ " he replied, taking the hand. Maybe it was just to mess with Ryusuke or get back on him for the cocky remark, but David gently tugged on the young omega's hand and leaned down to kiss him at the cheek. "Eh?!"

Ryusuke bristled while Koyuki's cheeks burned red. The rest of _Beck_ snickered the entire time. The younger omega jumped back when the initial shock wore off, touching the kissed cheek. Ryusuke's body moved on its own when he went in front of the omega possessively.

David laughed as he walked off to the Limo, his body guard opening the door for him. "That's one for the road, you take care Tanaka. Remember what I said, Ray." he waved them off as got inside.

Ryusuke grunted while Koyuki blinked in confusion. _Never mind, this guy really pisses me off_ he thought. "Come on, let's get checked in for our flight." he muttered, unknowingly dragging Koyuki with him. The omega yelped in surprise, hurriedly grabbing his luggage while keeping pace with the alpha.

"Wait Ryusuke, I can walk on my own."

Ryusuke realized what he was doing and immediately let go, face turning red. Koyuki noticed and fussed over him having a fever.

"Okay guys, for all our sakes, if you see your ticket seat assignment is beside Koyuki," Taira spoke lowly to the other two members of _Beck_. "Please give it to Ryusuke."

Ryusuke was grateful for Taira automatically giving him his seat so that he was able to sit beside Koyuki, but then again, since it meant being able to sit beside his own mate, it was probably a no-brainer, even if it meant he had to alternate getting cuddly with Saku and nagging Chiba to behave and stop getting fussy on his seat or bitchy about being single.

Koyuki had shown him their pictures in the camera and told him the story behind each of them, not wanting to leave him out any more than he already had been. The alpha would tease Koyuki about some bad shots he took, and the one where he was hugging his _Telecaster_ weirdly.

But Ryusuke also smiled at the young omega's excitement mixed with a tinge of regret that they had fun without him. Ryusuke felt a bit regretful, too, missing out on the countless smiles Koyuki made during the tour. But he knew it had been necessary. Taira told him about an offer from Sykes to go solo that Koyuki rejected. Ryusuke wouldn't have put it passed the man to try something like ruining Koyuki's music career, or worse, hurting him if he hadn't gone out of his way to put the man in jail.

"Ryusuke," Koyuki paused when he got to the picture Chiba took of Syke's arrest headline. Ryusuke thought the timing was too eerie for him to get to that picture as his train of thought was currently about the man. "do you think Syke's could get you back for this? I mean, with his money, I wonder if it's possible for him to get out of jail."

Ryusuke smiled and held the omega's shoulder. "Yeah, you're right. I had a restraining order filed on him, though. His Uncle helped me with it, so if that does happen, he wouldn't be able to get to me." Koyuki blinked in confusion, and asked how he even knew his Uncle. "Uh, I sort of met him. Remember when I disappeared that one time?"

"Yeah, you were really beaten up," Koyuki frowned. "Was he the reason? Did he help you out now to apologize for that time?"

Ryusuke shook his head, "No, no. You got it wrong, Syke's would've had his guy kill me. Let's just say, he didn't expect his Uncle to back me up instead. I played _Prudence_ in front of him. He liked it enough to save my skin." The alpha chuckled. "I always knew my life would revolve around music, but I never thought it'd actually save it, too."

"Ryusuke, please don't get yourself involve in something like that again." Koyuki said seriously. Ryusuke was a bit shocked at how his tone even changed a bit, it turned him on a bit so he wondered if it was the omega unwittingly using that particular _Note_. "I'm grateful that you did this for the sake of _Beck_ , but it would be for nothing if something had happen to you. _Beck_ isn't Beck if it's not all five of us together. Please remember you don't have to do everything on your own anymore."

Ryusuke smiled softly and patted the younger boy's head. "Heh, since when did you get so wise?" he teased. He applauded himself for his self-control since he didn't pounce his crush there and then when Koyuki had purred in approval at the contact. He doubted the omega was aware he did it. "Thanks Koyuki, I'll keep that in mind."

The young omega beamed at him. "Good."

──────────────────────────────────────────────────

When they got back in Japan, the Jetlag hit them hard. It had been close to midnight when they left America. It's been a thirteen hour flight and they arrived at three in the afternoon. Ryusuke looked at his band mates, seeing that Chiba was the worse off. But that was to be expected, after all, he had the shortest attention span. But the rest weren't too far from his weariness. They were barely able to haul their luggage, Chiba was practically running on auto-pilot, and he was quiet for once.

Ryusuke wasn't much better himself, either. He sighed. "Okay guys, let's take the day off tomorrow, too. I'll see you all Monday to talk about what we're going to do with the money and what we'll do next." he told them, stretching a bit.

No one argued, except Chiba, wanting two days off.

"Hey guys! I see you found my brother." Ryusuke and the rest turned, seeing Maho come running towards them. "How was America?"

Yoshito was with her. And they both smelled the same.

The alpha rolled his eyes. "What, did you two do it before heading over?" he asked tactlessly, getting two hits from his sister. "Ow! The hell, Maho."

"That's for leaving with no warning, the second was for the rude greeting." Maho huffed but with no real heat. She was used to her brother by now. "By the way, we picked up Beck and Keith already when they arrived earlier than your flight, they were bothering a lot of passengers with their barking at the baggage claiming, they're out at park in Yoshito's van. Hi Koyuki!" she hugged the boy. "I hope my brother hasn't been harassing you."

Ryusuke's cheeks turned red. "MAHO!"

"Uh, why would he do that?" Koyuki raised a brow. Maho blinked at her ex before laughing kindly, making a comment about it being nice that Koyuki was as oblivious as ever "What does that have to do with anything? I'm not oblivious either!" The omega frowned.

Ryusuke grumbled at being ignored. "So anyway, why do you two smell like each other?" He asked before it clicked in his mind. "No way... The hell Maho, you bonded?"

Koyuki widened his eyes, not expecting that... Or the fact that he was somehow okay with it.

"Yeah, and I see so has Saku and Taira. Congratulations!" She grinned. Taira and Saku smiled, nodding in acknowledgment. "Called it, you owe me dinner, Yoshito." Maho nudged her mate.

Yoshito rolled his eyes, "Like the bet was fair, you knew them better." he said.

"You made the bet by doubting me so suck it up." Maho shot back.

Yoshito shook his head, smiling in amusement. Then he looked towards Koyuki and suddenly bowed. "Sorry about how I treated you before," he said. Koyuki blinked, not expecting that. The others looked confused, except Saku and Maho. Saku knew about how they fought for Maho back then, Koyuki opened up to him. Yoshito had come clean with Maho, too, about it. "I'll make it up to you one of these days."

"Uh, no. That's not really necessary," Koyuki rubbed the back of his head. "I'm happy for you two?" He said it as a question because he wasn't really sure what he felt. For sure, he wasn't upset about it.

Yoshito chuckled. "Thanks. But I was kinda mean about it. It's an alpha thing, I'm sure you'd know, when they really want something... Or someone, in this case." he winked at Maho.

Maho rolled her eyes, but smiled, nudging the blond.

"Uh no, I really don't know." Koyuki made a face, confused. _Why would I know?_

Yoshito smirked and eye-rolled, but not unkindly. "Don't worry, you'll see it from Minami-kun soon enough." he snickered at the expression Ryusuke made.

 _Really!_ Ryusuke grumbled. _Is everyone out to spill my secret? Sure Koyuki is oblivious, but don't push it!_ He wanted to scream.

"KOYUKI!"

The entire group turned their heads to the sound. The young omega blinked when he saw two familiar faces. "Saitou-san, Momoko-sensei?"

"I can't believe they're still together..." Saku mumbled to himself.

Momoko got there first. "We saw on the internet that you would be back this afternoon, and we wanted to check on you, Tanaka-kun." she spoke softly, her tone sound remorseful for some reasons. "How are you holding up?"

"You're something else, Koyuki." Saitou said, a little out of breath. "Being able to go on with that tour despite what happened, you're tougher than you look kid."

Koyuki blinked, still pretty confuse. But he figured it might have something to do with going through the tour despite being in his adjusting period. "Well, it wasn't easy. A lot of things happened over there," he tried for a smile, still pretty weary from the travel. "But I had _Beck_ backing me up, so it was fine."

"We were glad to help him through it," Taira nodded. "I've been there and pretty much had to go through it on my own, so I know how difficult it can be."

Momoko nodded, but this time, both she and Saitou looked confused. "It's great you have friends looking out for you, Tanaka-kun." she said unsurely.

"By the way, how did you guys find out that I presented as an omega?"

Saitou blinked and gaped. "You're an omega?!" he exclaimed. "Waah! I hit you several times during training, I could get sued for that!"

"I-it's okay, Saitou-san, I haven't presented at that time ye..." Koyuki panicked, making a placating movements towards the man when Taira interrupted.

Taira looked stern. "Wait, if you didn't know about Koyuki presenting, why were you checking how he was holding up?" he asked.

"Huh, the incident from _Seattle_ didn't reach here, did it?" Ryusuke muttered mostly to himself. "I know it pretty much stayed as State news."

Maho raised a brow. "It didn't. What happened there?"

"Maho, I have a feeling now's not about that either."

Momoko gasped quietly, a hand to her mouth before looking at her mate. "Kenichi, honey, I don't think he knows yet." she told him quietly.

"Eh? EH?! But that means..." Saitou swallowed thickly. "I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, Momochan."

Koyuki was starting to get worried now. "What's the matter?"

Taira smelled his distress and went closer to hold onto his shoulder.

"Ugh, those officers said they'd do their best to contact him, too." Momoko shook her head before taking Koyuki's hand. "Koyuki, please try to remain calm. We need to go to the Police station, they're in a much official position to tell you."

Koyuki's anxiety got worse. But he tried to remain calm like he was asked. He looked behind him. "Guys, will you...?"

"Of course we're going with you," Ryusuke replied even before the question was asked. "We've got your back." Koyuki smiled gratefully. "Maho, you can take Beck and Keith home, right?"

Maho huffed but didn't argue. "All right, but you better tell what's up later."

Chiba yawned wildly, his first time attempting to join the conversation. "I'm too tired to get what's going on, but yeah, I'll go. Sounds like some serious shit."

"Will it be okay for us to come, though?" Taira asked Saitou.

Saitou still looked pretty troubled. "Mm... I think it's not a problem, so..."

"Oh wait, maybe I should call mom first and tell her I'm home." Koyuki reached for his phone when Momoko took his hand. "Eh?"

She really did look sad. "Tanaka-kun, that can wait. Okay?"

──────────────────────────────────────────────────

Koyuki's heart shattered into a million pieces. "Wha-What do you mean my mom's been k-killed?!" he slammed his hands to the Head chief's table. "That can't be!"

"Tanaka-kun, I am sorry for your loss but please," Chief Okunishi made a placating gesture. "calm down. I understand that this is difficult to hear,"

Koyuki actually glared at the alpha Officer. "Don't tell me to calm down! How did this even happen?! Did you catch the bastard who did it?!"

"No, we didn't, the _U.S._ did." Chief Okunishi spoke evenly.

Ryusuke raised a brow while Taira tried calming Koyuki down. As it is, Koyuki was no longer holding his tears back. "The _U.S._? How did this become an International..." At that moment, his eyes widened. "Don't tell me... Is the suspect Leon Sykes?"

"Yes, and I understand you were involve in the aid of his capture." Chief Okunishi nodded. He turned back to Koyuki. "If you're able, I can divulge the findings of our investigation. It's your Right to know, after all, but I also understand that you just came back from a long flight. We can reschedule it anytime you're available." Koyuki shook his head, and asked to know now. "All right, I understand. As the information is confidential, I ask that those who are not related to Tanaka Miyuki to please leave the room."

Koyuki protested swiftly. "No, it's okay!" he said. "It... It'll be harder to handle it without them."

The members of _Beck_ expressions' softened.

"Very well, I can respect that. Please have a seat, Tanaka-kun, this might take a while." Chief Okunishi before going to pull out a case file from one of the shelves as Koyuki sat on the chair in front of the officer's desk. The rest of Beck huddled around the boy, with Ryusuke and Taira being the closest. When they saw the case file, they saw it was compiled inside a transparent envelope with two folders and a bunch of papers inside them. "the case is marked as closed once we received the News of Leon Skyes arrest. But we did conduct an investigation before receiving that news and had photocopies made of the case as a request from the prosecuting team to help their side win the court hearing. I apologize for not being able to get your consent."

Koyuki managed to shake his head. "It's okay, I would've agreed, anyway."

"I'm glad to hear that. Now," he took out one folder and saw it marked as Evidence. Chief Okunishi showed them two photos first of two letters before bring out an opened mailing envelope. "In this photo, we have here a letter that may have been found with this envelop based on that dates embedded. It seems that before she was killed, your mother may have been kidnapped. But there were not missing reports filed, so we didn't know about it."

Koyuki choked upon reading the letter in the photo, printed as to not trace any hand writing. But it was English, so that narrowed down suspects. It read,

_Tanaka Yukio,_

_I sent you a copy of the contract you rejected. If you_  
_don't want anything bad to happen to your mother,_  
_you better start reconsidering the offer._

"So... So... It's all my fault..." Koyuki's shoulders shook.

Ryusuke growled. "Shut up Koyuki," he scolded. "no way in hell is this your fault, and don't you dare start thinking it is."

"Damn straight, it's that fucker Sykes who got his head messed up." Chiba agreed with Ryusuke, a rare occurrence.

"I agree with your friends, despite their way of wording it." Chief Okunishi narrowed his eyes. "We found out that she might've been abducted two days after your flight in _America_ and we have reasons to believe that Leon Sykes had no idea that you wouldn't be receiving the mail. In airline records, we found that he left for America for business matters shortly after and only then did he knew about your flight. But no records of any companion coming along."

Koyuki tried to keep listening, but it was hard. He was still weary from the flight. "D-did they kill her since I didn't reply?"

"Well, that's a complicated one to answer," The Chief sighed. "In the reports, she didn't die on that day. As for the reason... Well, in the second photo..." He trailed off as Koyuki immediately started reading it, Taira and Ryusuke reading over his shoulder.

Ryusuke widened his eyes. "This is..." he cursed. "Damn you, Gordy."

 _Gordy, go ahead and kill the lady. Then send_  
_the brat her photo and this message:_  
_'My regards to Ryusuke Minami.'_

"Well, this is only our speculation," The Chief started slowly, taking consideration of how shaken up Koyuki was. "but since the approximate time of death was around the time Sykes had been arrested in America for an unrelated murder we deduced that he decided to kill her as his last laugh. His accomplice had been apprehended shortly after, the government scheduled his flight to return to America to face the charges with Leon Sykes."

Koyuki looked frozen like he was still in shock, still trying to grasp that this was his reality now. His mother was really gone, he was orphaned. It was so hard not to blame himself for it.

"So, about this part..." Taira pointed at the photo, the part in the letter saying something about the mother's photo. "Did you..." he trailed off purposely, letting the officer fill in the blanks.

Chief Okunishi grimaced. "Yes, we did recover it. But I don't think showing it to Tanaka-kun would be best." he said. "nor would it really be necessary, really."

"Well, I can't say I don't agree. But I guess the final decision is for Koyuki to make, so..." Taira turned to Koyuki to ask when he realized the younger omega's eyes were glazed over. He widened his eyes and suddenly moved in front of him. "Crap, Koyuki, don't!"

Everyone in the room were suddenly alarmed, Chief Okunishi jumped out of his seat, wide-eyed. "What's wrong?"

"Shit, he went into a _Drop_." Taira carefully got him off the chair. He sat himself on the floor and started cradling Koyuki's body. "Please Koyuki, come back."

Ryusuke kneels in front of them, wanting to check on the boy as well. But Saku stopped him from trying to touch the boy.

"A _Drop_? What the hell is a _Drop_?" Chiba looked around, demanding anyone to answer. "What's gonna happen to Koyuki?"

Saku frowned, worrying his bottom lip. "Think of it like an omega shutting down," he explained. "it happens when they get too stressed or upset and aren't able to handle it. If we don't get him to snap out of it, he could..." he stopped himself there, swallowing thickly.

"Shit, no way," Chiba cursed. "Koyuki! Get your shit together, man!"

Taira growled at him. "Don't shout, damn it! You'll make it worse," he scolded, before going back to his attempts in soothing the boy out of his haze.

"I'll call for an Ambulance." Chief Okunishi got his phone out.

Taira shook his head. "When an omega drops, it's better not to move them too much until he snaps out of it." he turned back to Koyuki. "Come on, Koyuki, none of it was your fault. Please come back, we're all here for you."

Koyuki made no response, his eyelids were slowly dropping close, too.

"No, no, no," Taira started panicking. "don't do that, please, Koyuki look at me."

Ryusuke couldn't take it anymore, he took Koyuki off Taira's arms and started to cradle him himself. Before Taira could scold Ryusuke for moving him so suddenly, the Alpha started singing.

 " _ **Love leaps into motion,**_  
_**trying to keep hangin' on,**_ **  
_**when I need a reason to wake up,**_ **  
_**I'll find you turning, laughing and smiling...**_**** "

 Ryusuke sang the song he once wrote for his sister. Yet it was always Koyuki who sang it onstage, for the girl he used to be in love with. Now though, in private, he was the one singing and dedicating it to Koyuki. Taira stopped and listen, so did everyone else in the room, waiting for something to happen.

 " ** _Love you, boy, but sometimes_  
_**you think you can leave me behind.**_ **  
_**Please don't try to hide it**_ **  
_**the pain you're feelin' everyday by day**_******

**Singing love to my lover,  
** _**In this world**_ **  
_**where everyone is lonely,**_ **  
_**Everything will be fine someday~**_****

_**Some other day~**_ "

Ryusuke's heart skipped a bit when he felt Koyuki twitch, some shine was coming back to the Omega's eyes. He was almost there. Then, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked and saw Taira smiling at him, nodding. Chiba and Saku were right behind him. Ryusuke nodded at them, too. Before turning his attention back to Koyuki, holding him tighter. They sang, slightly off tune but the sincerity is what made it mattered.

 " ** _Love for you in motion,_  
**_**so please keep hangin' on,**_ **  
_**If you need a reason to wake up,**_ **  
_**you'll find us turning, laughing and smiling...**_****

  _**Singing love for you, brother,**_ **  
_**In this world**_  
_**where everyone is lonely,**_  
_**Everything will be fine**_**

  _ **Some other day~**_

Ryusuke felt Koyuki grip his hand back. The alpha held his breath, squeezing back, letting the others singing take over for the last part.

_**Singing love for our brother,** _ **  
_**In this world**_ **  
_**where everyone is lonely,**_ **  
_**Everything will be fine someday~**_******

  _ **Some other day~**_

  _ **Some other day~**_ "

Koyuki blinked once and his body jolted, he started gasping as tears started rolling down his cheeks. He breathed heavily, seeing everyone around him. "Wha-what happened? What was that?" he asked fearfully, grasping tightly unto Ryusuke's arms. "I couldn't control my body, it was terrible, what was—!" he kept rambling on before he just snapped and threw himself to Ryusuke's arms, sobbing hysterically. "That was so scary!"

"Shhhh, easy kid, you're okay, you're okay," Ryusuke rubbed circles behind the younger boy's back and spoke softer than he ever had in his life. "It... It's going be fine, I promise." his voice cracked, realizing how scared he was when he thought of almost losing the boy.

Taira put a hand behind Koyuki's back, the other holding Saku's tightly as a silent indication of how worried he had been. "We're here for you, Koyuki..." he said firmly.

"Taira!" Koyuki cried, hugging both him and Ryusuke now, too. "I h-heard you, I heard you calling me back, I'm sorry! I tried to snap out of it, I couldn't! I couldn't see anything!"

Taira shook his head and tried to hold back his own tears. He embraced the boy tightly. "Don't apologize, Koyuki, I'm just real glad you've snapped out of it... Oh my god..." he sobbed. "Just don't scare us like that again."

"I'm sorry..." Koyuki sniffled before passing out.

Ryusuke panicked. "Koyuki!"

"It's fine," Taira immediately held the Alpha's arm. "he just fell asleep. Another omega can sense if one of their own is in a _Drop_ , it doesn't feel like that now. He's okay,"

Ryusuke let out a breath, growing tired himself, leaning his forehead to Koyuki's shoulder. "Thank goodness..." he clenched his fist. "If only I got Sykes throw into jail much earlier, this wouldn't have..."

"Shut up," Chiba growled. "I'm sick and tired of this shitty blame game. It's not your fault, so you stop that before you go into an alpha drop yourself."

Taira chuckled, putting a comforting hand on Ryusuke's head as well. "There's no such thing, idiot."

"... Yes, it's not finalize yet, but..." The Chief spoke quietly to his phone, watching the young musicians the whole time. "... I think I found some people who can be Tanaka-kun's guardians."

──────────────────────────────────────────────────

When Koyuki woke up the next day, he was surprised to find not only himself in the room, but the entire band. It seems that they managed to find the futons and laid them out, Taira and Saku shared one, Chiba was in another although he was barely staying on it. Then, there was an empty futon. He heard a light snore, and look to his side and saw Ryusuke asleep, leaning against his bed. He then remembered a bit of what happened last night and smiled softly.

The omega held the alpha's hand. "Thank you..." he said quietly.

"Uhnngh..." Ryusuke moaned, slowly opening his eyes and saw that there was a hand over his. He blinked and looked up, seeing the younger boy awake. "Koyuki!" he jumped to sit on the bed and embrace the aforementioned boy.

Koyuki blinked, his heart suddenly beating faster.

"Ugh, what time is it?" Taira groaned, sitting up. He blinked at the scene in front of him. He smirked, shaking his head in amusement. "So you're awake. How are you feeling?"

Koyuki willed his flushed cheeks away. "G-good morning, Taira. I'm fine, thanks." he replied.

"Heh, you might want to make that good afternoon." The blond mused, checking his phone. "It's one in the afternoon."

Koyuki widened his eyes and immediately got up, accidentally hitting Ryusuke and causing him to fall of the bed. "Oh my god, sorry Ryusuke. It's that late? I'll start lunch, you're all probably hungry."

"Koyuki, relax, it's just us." Ryusuke held his arm before he could rush out. "we can order pizza or something. Besides, we need to talk about something important."

Koyuki frowned. "Is this about last night? When I... What did Taira call it..." he looked at the blond. " _Drop_?"

"Yeah, _Drop_. But... Well, it's about last night, yeah, but not specifically that one." Taira said and noticed Saku already halfway awake, rubbing at his eyes. Chiba was starting to complain about the noise. "Well, let's wait for everyone to fully awake, Koyuki, your refrigerator's been cleared, but there's some coffee beans left. If you don't mind, I'd like to have a cup."

Koyuki nodded readily. "Oh, yeah sure, let me do it for you."

"Chill Koyuki, I got it," Taira chuckled, heading out. "if everyone's all ready and awake, let's meet downstairs."

Koyuki sat back on his bed, looking at Ryusuke. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, for the most parts," Ryusuke stretched. "sorry for sleeping over without your permission."

Koyuki shook his head, smiling slightly. "It's fine, actually... I'm glad you did. It... would be hard waking up with the house... empty." he bit his lip and sniffled a bit. Ryusuke immediately rubbed his back. "I'm okay, I... I'm still trying to grasp everything..."

"Yeah, I get it. Take all the time you need," Ryusuke said kindly. "just remember you don't have to do it on your own."

Koyuki nodded, unknowingly leaning into Ryusuke, comforted by the contact and the warmth of it. The Alpha smiled softly.

Later everyone gathered around Koyuki's dining table. Taira started speaking, telling Koyuki about what happened after he passed out and why they decided to sleep over. Of course, it was true that they definitely didn't want to leave the boy all alone in his house. But it was also so that Chief Okunishi gave them the contact number of Tanaka Miyuki's lawyer to discuss about social welfare issues, like the case of Koyuki's guardianship.

"Not only that," Taira continued, "but apparently, your mother was continuing a life insurance account that your father started. Supposedly, if something were to happen to him, both you and your mom would be receiving about one million yen. Your mother used part of that to buy this house, lot and all. Then she continued the account. With her death and for how long she was depositing money to the account, the insurance company owes you about five million yen."

Koyuki widened his eyes, thinking how much money that was. Also, why the officer told the band about it. It sounded to him that it was a confidential matter. For sure, he didn't mind that _Beck_ knew, he trusted them. But he doubted that was standard protocol. Taira noticed his confusion and started explaining.

"Well, the insurance company owes you money, but part of the policy is that a minor can't receive it without a legal guardian." The blond told him. "Chief Okunishi was worried, since the closest relatives you have lives in another country and going to live with them might be hard due to adjustments with this news and a new country's way of living. But then, he told us about it because we're eligible. At least, Ryusuke, Chiba and I, are of right age to be your guardians."

Ryusuke continued then. "Both Taira and I finished a High School education, Chiba may have dropped out of his third year... again..."

"HEY!"

"But his family owns a ramen shop that he'll be inheriting, so he made it, too. Of course," Ryusuke paused, looking at Koyuki seriously. "That's only provided we have your consent."

Taira smiled lightly, almost knowingly. "How about it, Koyuki? Do you mind if one of us looked after you in the place of your mother?"

Koyuki had to think about everything they told him, the legal policies sounded serious and heavy to take. He's certain there's a lot he needs to understand too. But the one thing he didn't have to think about is whether or not he'd be giving the three older males his consent.

"Of course I don't mind," Koyuki smiled easily. "I wouldn't want anyone else. But... Uh... What about the living arrangements?"

Taira sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "That's the part I haven't figured out yet. Of course, it depends on which from the three of us will sign for the main guardian. You'll have to live with them or they can live here with you. My apartment has a lease, so I can't leave till the end of the month. But if we wait that long, the deadline to claim the insurance will be expired by then. I mean, you could live with me and Saku for the mean time but..."

Chiba snickered. "No more sexy tim—" He was immediately hit by Taira. "OW!"

"BUT" Taira continued sharply. "it's already pretty much cramped up and..."

Koyuki finished for him. "and you can't have Saku live with either Ryusuke or Chiba even temporarily since, well, you're bonded and the separation would make it painful, right?"

Taira couldn't help but wince, since he pictured the scenario when Koyuki said it outloud. "Yeah, some omega instincts can't be helped." He felt the urge now to go and cuddle up with mate, Saku sensed it and immediately walked over. The blond wrapped his arms around the younger boy. "I mean, I guess I can pay for it earlier, but I might need to pay more than the original lease since it's too early and I promised to never use money I didn't earn by myself to pay for it, so using _Beck_ 's funds is out of the question. I don't want to use any of Koyuki's insurance money either for it."

"You could probably live with me," Chiba shrugged. "But since I'm still with my folks, it might be a little cramped up. We don't have an extra room so you'd have to share a room with me" Taira glared at him. "BUT I'm an alpha so I know there's gotta be something improper or shit about it. So that's pretty much the same reason I can't move in."

Koyuki frowned, turning to Saku. "Well, since you're a beta, maybe for the mean time..."

"I'm a minor like you, Koyuki." Saku reminded. "I don't think it'd be okay if it was just me. And, again, the mate bond thing..."

Ryusuke groaned, rubbing the back of his head. "You idiots, you're all making it more complicated than it is." he looked at all of them. "the answer is obvious."

"Ryusuke, he's not living with you just because you have your grandmother. She isn't even there half the time," Taira snapped. "And you can't live with him alone in this house with the same reason as Chiba's."

Ryusuke turned red before shaking his head, "That wasn't what I was getting at, I meant... let's all move in with Koyuki."

It wasn't just Koyuki, everyone in the room gave Ryusuke incredulous looks.

"Why are you looking at me like that? It'd be okay, right? Three eligible guardians living with Koyuki under the same roof, I can get my grandmother or Maho to live with him until both Saku and Taira's ready to move in." Ryusuke reasoned. "It works out, right?"

Taira face palmed. "Except the part that there'd be technically three guardians living with Koyuki and the company only needs one. Plus, considering our secondary genders," he pointed at all of them. "Two Alphas, Two Omegas, one of them a minor and the one in need of a guardian, plus a Beta who is also a minor... Not exactly balanced. No matter how much trust we have for each other... Well, it would be hard convincing the social authorities just how appropriate it is during Heat and Rut cycles. They'd worry for our safety."

"Yeah, I'd worry for that, too." Saku agreed whole-heartedly. "The only way they'd allow that set up is if..." he trailed off, and widened his eyes, which was saying something. "Woah, Ryusuke, do you mean you want..."

Ryusuke nodded, smiling. "That's right. We form a Family Pack bond," he said. "With that, our alpha instincts would never sexually assault you and it would make us protective instead during your Heats. And incidents like an _omega Drop_ ," He looked at Koyuki meaningfully. "well, as pack member, either you or Koyuki will be able to snap out of it once you hear any of our voices."

"Woah, woah, Ryusuke, fuck man. You realize what you're saying, right?" Chiba asked. Even he knew what making a Family Pack bond entails. "Both of us would have to fight for the position of _Alpha Head_ , right? Plus, it could literally kill us if we went our separate ways someday."

Koyuki bit his lip and whimpered at that thought.

"Idiot," Ryusuke sighed, "We'd only have to fight if talking it through won't work. And, honestly, do you really think _Beck_ will ever plan to break up? I'm tired of going off on my own, for sure." He said, getting serious now. "Koyuki, if you'll have us, we'll be your family now. We keep telling each other _Beck_ is nothing without all five of us. This will only solidify that even more. It's perfect, cause we're a little broken but broken pieces come together to form a whole."

Everyone looked at each other, and truly thought about Ryusuke's suggestion now. Taira finally smiled and stood up, going towards Ryusuke. "Well, after a speech like that, it's obvious who should be _Head Alpha_. So how about it, Chiba, you accept or do you guys have to fight over it?"

"Ehhh, it's definitely hard on my pride, but the fucker came up with the idea first." Chiba shrugged. "Koyuki, Saku, do you guys agree?"

Both Saku and Koyuki smiled, nodding their heads.

"I never felt more accepted than when I joined _Beck_ , to be a real family... It sounds awesome."

"Heh, I basically left my own family for this band, and I never regretted it. All the more now."

Taira nodded, he called for Saku and asked Koyuki to get some bandages and disinfectant. After Koyuki came back with a first aid kit, Taira faced Ryusuke, giving up his left arm to him. The alpha lifted up his own arm first, and bit hard, piercing the skin a little lower the wrist, away from any major arteries. He moaned a bit at the pain but ignored it. Koyuki had whimpered on his behalf though. The alpha took Taira's arm, biting at the same spot. The blond winced and squeezed his mate's hand. Ryusuke let part of his blood spill on the pierced area. Afterwards, Taira applied disinfectant and wrapped a bandage to the injured area. This went about the same way with the others. Finally, it was Koyuki's turn.

"Don't be scared," Ryusuke said, sensing the Omega's apprehension. "It's going to hurt, I can't do anything about it, but it'll pass soon."

Koyuki swallowed, steeling himself. "I... I can take it."

Ryusuke smiled, before lifting Koyuki's arm to his mouth and biting down. The omega didn't expect the pain to be that intense, but he didn't expect for it to feel good as well. It only lasted for a second, but it felt longer. Koyuki whimpered and leaned heavily against Ryusuke. The alpha widened his eyes. Everyone else seemed shocked too.

"Ahh..." The young omega exhaled. "That was... wow..."

"Koyuki..."

Koyuki chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm okay my head's just spinning a bi—" he trailed off when Ryusuke lifted up his face. The omega blinked in confusion. "Ryusuk—" he widened his eyes when the Alpha pressed their lips together. "Mmph!"

Everyone in the room gaped, staring at the two.

It only lasted for a second, because Ryusuke realized what he did soon enough. "Ah!" he moved back. "Oh my god, Koyuki, I... I'm so sorry, it was, uh, it was just..." Ryusuke panicked, he wasn't ready to confess yet.

"I-it's fine, R-Ryusuke," Koyuki's faced was flushed. "b-but what happened? Why did you do that?"

 _Shit, shit, shit._ _How do I get out of this one?_ Ryusuke mind reeled and he said the first thing that popped out of my mind, copying what Yoshito said earlier. "It... It's an alpha thing. Uh, yeah, I think you used your _Omega Note_ too by accident. It wasn't like I wanted to, it's just, instincts, you know."

Taira made a strangled noise, dumbstruck before face palming in annoyance. Saku shook his head in disbelief. Chiba didn't know if he wanted to make fun of the other alpha or beat him up.

"Oh, instincts, huh?" Koyuki seemed to accept that reasoning easy enough, but for some strange reasons, he felt a disappointed. "Ah, wait, we gotta bandage your arm." he got the disinfectant and started covering the wound.

Ryusuke visibly relaxed. "Ye-yeah, thanks Koyuki." he managed to say after Koyuki finished. "I, uh, need some air." He went towards the door.

"Oh, uh, Ryusuke?" Koyuki called out, wondering if he wanted some company. Ryusuke turned to back a bit. The omega hesitated, forgetting what he wanted to say. "Oh, uh, nevermind. It's not important."

Ryusuke nodded shakily before stepping out.

"Ugh..." Taira groaned, burying his face in Saku's shoulder. "we just made him _Head Alpha_ , and already, I have complains."

Chiba looked like he wanted to comment but thought better of it. "So~" he stretched. "I'm gonna go order pizza now."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I based the processing of the case file scenes from the Castle series. Sorry if I got some parts wrong. It's hard researching information.


	9. Omega Date

The next day, Beck took their pay from the American tour and divided it among themselves before taking it to the bank, each one getting their own account. With the other half, they decided they'd use it to try making more CDs and have Maho sell it during their shows again. If they're lucky enough to get another record label offer, Ryusuke would be more careful in confirming Royalties. Aside from that, they could also use part of the money to buy new equipment . Ryusuke was already working on a list what equipment needs replacing... or improving.

When the guardianship was approved and the insurance claimed, _Beck_ decided it was time to open two other bank accounts, aside from their own personal ones. One of them was for the band's funds and the other was to contain all Koyuki's insurance money, which the band agreed would only be used for paying for their utility bills, for the meantime, and emergencies. Even though Koyuki was more than willingly to give part of it to the band, Taira was adamant to keep both separate. As long as _Beck_ didn't have their own label, they couldn't be careless deciding what to spend it on. They'd also have to consider unforeseen incidents that may need a huge hospital bill or something along the lines. Ryusuke kept the debit card for the band's funds, while Koyuki originally kept the one for his insurance money. Eventually, he asked Taira to hold on to it instead. After discussing all legalities, they all went to Tanaka Miyuki and Tanaka Akito's now shared grave to pay their respects. 

Afterwards, they started their moving in arrangements. Chiba and Ryusuke moved in immediately while Taira and Saku moved in after a week, the blond deciding to use part of the Tour's payment for the lease to move in ahead of schedule so he can intentionally prevent the alpha from trying to spend more alone time with Koyuki. As punishment, since he was still peeved about the kiss from before. The alpha was chagrined when Taira confronted him about it but he understood that the omega had a good reason to be upset. But he still didn't get why he was still so sensitive about it. Koyuki didn't seem to hold it against him, and continued interacting him the same as before.

"I mean, it's not like you're the one I kissed." Ryusuke complained as he helped the omega unpack his stuff in an attempt to appease the blond's mood. Saku and Koyuki were outside building simple dog houses for the pets so they were exempted from helping out in unpacking. "Why do you gotta be so irritable ? Cut me some slack. Not to sound like a tyrannical or dictating _Head Alpha_ , but aren't you suppose to be at least a little bit more respectful?"

Taira rolled his eyes, "You get respect when you earn it, _Head Alpha_ ," he said it like an insult. He placed his bass down before jabbing two fingers pointedly to the alpha's chest. "And it's because you two are _STILL_ interacting the same way as before due to how you weaseled out of the situation is why I'm irritable." he gave another jab. "Damn it, you obviously like him and he could so obviously return the feelings sooner if you just stopped sending mixed signals; confusing the boy."

"Confusing him?"

"Yes, confusing him." Taira nodded firmly. "You stupid ass, with that stupid excuse you used, it's like you're toying with his feelings, if I didn't know better, I'd say you're just stringing him along."

Ryusuke widened his eyes. "What the hell, how did I do that?"

"What the f—" Taira rubbed his head furiously, groaning. "Oh my god, I'm so glad I'm mated with Yuji and not a typical idiotic alpha like you. Listen you, if you want me to cut you some slack then you better _alpha up_ and start being bold and honest about actually wanting him."

Ryusuke rolled his eyes.

"Don't you eye-roll at me!"

Ryusuke widened his eyes, holding his arms up in surrender. Taira was getting _more mom-like ever since the Family pack bonding, damn it._ he thought "What I mean is," he started. "you can't just tell me to do that and expect me to, well, just do it."

"Ryusuke," Taira lowered his voice and spoke in a serious tone that Ryusuke felt compelled to listen, wondering if having a mom voice for being an omega has the same effect as an omega Note. "Since you're so stupid to get it, I'll lay it out for you; haven't you noticed that you and Chiba are practically the only alphas Koyuki is comfortable with? Not to mention he trusts both of you. You're already lucky Chiba doesn't like Koyuki the same way you do and completely goes for girls only. But what if he didn't? Or rather, what if another alpha comes along, and maybe Koyuki grows to be comfortable with him and he expresses interest towards him boldly?"

Ryusuke growled at the thought.

"Yeah, exactly, but then you'd have no one to blame but yourself." Taira touched his shoulder. "Listen, you can't just wait for him to be ready to get in a relationship. You gotta help him by giving him exposure to what one is like."

Ryusuke frowned. "But things are happening too fast for him. His presenting, the whole _Note_ business, losing his mom..." he shook his head, "I don't want to overwhelm him... What if he drops again?"

"That's one of the reasons we Family Bonded, right?" Taira patted his shoulder. "Ryusuke, I know you never really experienced wanting someone the way you want Koyuki, even when you were dating random people for a fuck. I get that it scares you..."

Ryusuke grumbled. "I'm not scared."

"Now you go alpha on me," Taira rolled his eyes. "And you are. But you also care, so don't worry. No matter what, even if you screw up, well... This is Koyuki, he already looks up to you. He wouldn't think any less of you, I mean, after all this time, he still pretty much looks at you like you're some god."

Ryusuke's perked up at that. "Really? He does?"

"Wow," Taira narrowed his eyes. "and I thought Koyuki was oblivious." he shook his head. "I'll keep it simple. Ask him out on a date."

Ryusuke looked ready to protest.

"Ask him out or I'll do it for you , you damn excuse for a _Head Alpha_."

Ryusuke groaned, wondering if _Head Omega_ should start being a thing.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────

The _Head Alpha_ was strumming random notes on Prudence in his room, trying to think of a good date plan which was really difficult for him since his standard date plan used to be easy flirting, drinking, ending it with a good fuck... Which, now that he finally decided on his ideal mate, weren't really good fucks. He hadn't done it with the kid yet, obviously, but he could already tell nothing would compare. He had it that hard for the guy. Almost literally. Just the thought of doing it with Koyuki has him pitching a tent.

Ryusuke groaned, slapping himself in the face. He grabbed some scented lotion to hide the smell of musk once he takes care of it. He headed towards the bathroom. Only to find Koyuki who'd just finished taking a shower, thankfully already towel clad. Koyuki yelped, slipping in his surprise. Ryusuke immediately rushed towards him but in his haste he ended up tripping on himself and they both ended up crashing down.

"Ow, ow, ow, shit. Sorry about that, Koyuki," Ryusuke started getting up until he realized that an almost naked, and not to mention wet, omega right beneath him. Even worse, an omega that he liked. Oh fuck...

Koyuki was rubbing his head, having hit a bit upon landing. " **Itai**... I'm fine, Ryusu...ke?" He blinked at the Alpha, who has his eyes pinched shut and he seemed to be holding your breath, face flushed. "Are you okay? Do you feel sick?"

"'m fine," Ryusuke managed to say without releasing a breath, or more to the point inhaling. "Just, uh, dizzy..." he lied. "give me a moment," _To calm my libido_ he didn't say out loud. _Think of something else, something not sexy, Chiba sucking dick... Okay, ew._ That softened him up a bit.

Koyuki looked concerned. "Maybe we should get you to lie down? Here, let me help you." he went about supporting the older boy's shoulders.

"Ah!" Ryusuke didn't really need the younger boy to touch him at the moment. "No, it's okay, Ko—"

Taira's voice was suddenly heard, and Ryusuke paled. "—yuki! What's wrong, we heard you screa—" He stopped himself, widening his eyes at the scene before him. Ryusuke knew how it looked; Koyuki underneath him, barely clothed, all wet, his hands on the long-haired raven's shoulders, like he was trying to resist something, and with the alpha's hand gripping his wrist, as if he was trying to restrain him, a bottle of lotion to his side. "Ryuuusukeeee..." The blond growled. "This is not what I mean by being bold."

"Wait, wait, Taira, no this isn't...!" Ryusuke got off of Koyuki. "It's not what it looks like, I swear, I didn't try to—YAAAAAAH!"

Koyuki moved away, eyes widening as Taira attacked Ryusuke. Chiba was laughing hysterically from outside the door and Saku just went to get the first aid kit and a pair of clothes.

Needless to say, it resulted to a complete cool off.

It turned out, Ryusuke did need to lie down after the beating Taira gave him. Even when Taira finally believed the alpha about not having any perverted intentions, he still didn't apologize for attacking, saying something about it serving as a warning for any future attempts. The alpha sighed, remembering the role of a Maternal Head in a Family Pack. Usually, it would be the _Head Alpha_ 's mate, but seeing as they were lacking in that department, or rather he was, it was obvious that Taira fit the role perfectly. Maybe a little too perfectly.

"Damn Taira," Ryusuke grumbled, "it's not like anything happened."

Koyuki kept the first aid kit. "I'm sorry, it was because he thought you were trying to do..." his cheeks turned red. "...well, _that_ , to me that Taira..."

"Well, you're not wrong there but it doesn't make it your fault." Ryusuke immediately assured. He ruffled the younger boy's hair. "So you don't have to apologize."

Koyuki frowned. "If you say so," he sighed. "But I still feel kinda bad about it, I want to make it up to you somehow..."

Ryusuke sighed, about to tell him not to worry about it. But he stopped himself, realizing that this was a good opening to ask him out. "Well, uh, Koyuki, there is s-something..." he stuttered. _I actually fucking stuttered, man up Ray, you're not a school girl!_ He cleared his throat. "You could go out with me tomorrow, or something..."

"Oh, okay," Koyuki nooded easily enough. Ryusuke blinked, not expecting him to have taken it casually. "where will we go shopping?"

"Eh?"

Koyuki pointed to Ryusuke's desk. "You probably want to buy the equipment replacements, right? I saw the list." he explained.

"Oh, the list..." Ryusuke narrowed his eyes before face palming. He had to spell it out, it seems. "No, Koyuki. Well, yes I've been meaning to buy them but that wasn't the point."

Koyuki blinked in confusion, wondering where else Ryusuke needed to be that he could help him with. Suddenly, Ryusuke reached out to take one of Koyuki's hands. The omega felt his heart skip a beat.

"I was asking you out on a date, Koyuki."

Koyuki widened his eyes. "WHAT?" he practically froze. "B-b-b-b-but..."

"Koyuki, calm down." Ryusuke frowned at such a reaction. "I mean, if you don't want to..."

"It, no, It, It's not that I don't want to, I just... **eto, eto**..." Koyuki really couldn't think straight, he really wasn't expecting this. It wasn't how people in Japan usually asked someone out, but Ryusuke did come from America. "well, why would you want to go on a date with me?"

"Is it really that surprising? I mean, I trust you and after everything that's happened, I realize how much I care about you. Also, I have to admit, I always did find you interesting, too."

Koyuki's heart was really beating too fast now, but it wasn't a particularly bad thing. "B-but why are you suddenly asking me out on a date?"

"Well, aside from the fact that you were interested with my sister, I think the only answer I could give is that things are different now." Ryusuke rubbed the back of his head. "we're getting off topic. Koyuki, I'm going to ask again, will you go on a date with me tomorrow?"

Koyuki covered his face with his hands, too embarrassed to look at the other man. He knew he needed to answer, though. And when he thought of it, he didn't dislike the idea nor did he have any reason to reject the offer. "I... Uh, I guess it's okay..."

"Koyuki, this isn't something I want you to feel obliged to agree to, you have to know that you have your say here." Ryusuke assured him, while he really wanted to accept that answer, he definitely didn't like it to sound unsure.

Koyuki blushed and smiled a bit. He nodded at the Alpha. "Yes, Ryusuke, I wouldn't mind going out with you tomorrow." he said, agreeing with no hesitation this time.

"Great," Ryusuke grinned happily. "can't wait for tomorrow."

Koyuki chuckled bashfully, it sounded weird. In his embarrassment he accidentally wished Ryusuke good night even though they'll still be having dinner later and made haste out the room. The Alpha smiled, feeling elated and really excited for tomorrow. Just him and Koyuki, together doing... Ryusuke smacked himself in the face.

"Fuck, I completely rushed in without a plan." 

──────────────────────────────────────────────────

"You're really upset about this, huh?"

Taira grumbled, crossing his arms. "Of course I am, not only does being a Maternal Head make my instincts more protective of Koyuki, Ryusuke's being a real idiot, now he's a real pervert."

"He did say..."

"Yeah, nothing happened, doesn't mean he wasn't getting it up."

Saku chuckled as Taira sat beside him on his bed. "You only get emotionally wired when it's near your cycle. Isn't it too early for you to go into a Heat?" he teased.

"Shut up, it's the instincts, I already told you. That stupid alpha, why did we make him _Head Alpha_ again?" The blond leaned his head to Saku's shoulder. "Infuriating."

Saku ran his fingers through his mate's hair. "Are you saying we should've made Chiba Head?"

"Oh my god, don't even joke about that." Taira groaned, glaring at Saku before wrapping his arms around him. "aren't you my mate? Comfort me, damn it."

Saku blushed, but he smirked at the implication. "Are you always this needy when you're mad? It makes you cute." He ran his hands up Taira's shirt.

"Shut up," Taira scowled, not liking being called cute one bit. But he shivered when Saku brushed his nipples. "Fuck it, Yuji, if you don't hurry up I'm gonna be mad at you, too." he hissed.

Saku laughed, "I did say you were cute when you were mad, maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing." he teased.

"Or maybe you'll find out that you wouldn't want a cuteness overload," Taira growled, licking the bond mark on Saku's skin.

Saku shuddered before finally pouncing, straddling Taira. He took off the blond's shirt, and started licking his chest. Taira moaned in pleasure and urged him to continue. Just when he got far enough as stripping the blond off his pants, a loud knock came from the door. They both froze.

"Saku! I need to talk to you, I'm coming in,"

In the blond's panic, he rolled off the bed just as Koyuki came in, leaving Saku to face him while hiding his arousal. Koyuki noticed the blush on his cheeks and questioned it.

"I, uh, just had coffee. It, uh, had a little Alcoholic content..." Saku lied, he had no idea if such a coffee even exists. But thankfully, neither did Koyuki so he took the bait as new information. "Uh, so about the talk... I was about to, uh, take a quicki—QUICK! Quick nap before dinner, so..."

Koyuki continued walking towards the bed, in which Taira decided it was a good plan to crawl under Saku's bed to better hide himself. "I'm sorry Saku, but this can't wait. I need your advice, Ryusuke just asked me out!"

Saku widened his eyes in surprised. In Taira's shock, he accidentally hit himself under the bed.

"What was that?"

Saku flailed his arms, grabbing Koyuki's attention back, his arousal completely gone now. "Uh, what do you mean Ryusuke asked you out?" he prodded. "How did he confess? And, did that come before or after asking you out for a date?"

"Um, well, about that..." The Omega stressed, covering his face as he felt it getting hot. "I mean, no, he didn't give me a confession or anything, they probably do dates differently in America, but still. He asked me out on a date... Oh my god, I've got a date with Ryusuke... It still sounds unreal."

Saku patted his back slowly. "Uh, I don't know what to say... Um, I'm happy for you?" he said.

"Don't be!" Koyuki whined, looking at Saku.

Saku frowned. "Koyuki, he didn't force you to agree, right?"

"Well, no, actually, he made sure I wouldn't mind..."

"And you did say yes?"

Koyuki nodded slowly.

"Okay..." Saku scratched his head. "So, I don't get it, what's the problem?"

Koyuki grasped his best friend's shoulder and shook him. "Because he said he always found me interesting!"

"U-uh h-huh..." Saku stuttered before holding on to Koyuki's arms to stop the Omega from shaking him. "And that's a problem... How?"

Koyuki rubbed the back of his neck. "Because... I'm not interesting at all, and when we go out tomorrow, he'll realize that and he'll regret asking me out and then it'll get all awkward between us and..."

"Koyuki," Saku deadpan before flicking him on the forehead. " **Baka**."

Koyuki winced, rubbing the pinkish part of his forehead where Saku flicked. " **Itai, itai**... Saku, that hurts."

"Not more than I am, as your best friend, hearing you still belittling yourself," Saku huffed, crossing his arms. "You keep saying our band is great, that _Beck makes awesome music_ together, that Beck will make it far. But sometimes, you say it like you exclude yourself, like you're trying not to affiliate yourself with us. If I didn't know better, I'd say you were ashamed of us and you're planning to quit _."_

Koyuki widened his eyes. "That's not tru—"

"But then, I do know you better, Koyuki..." Saku cuts him off before placing a hand to his shoulder. "And I know you tend to exclude yourself because you don't think highly of your own talents, especially when you compare yourselves to others. Or, more to the point, us."

Koyuki looked down. "But I'm really not all that special, compared to you guys..."

"Koyuki, don't make me hit you," Saku narrowed his eyes, hearing even his mate whimpering under the bed because of the younger omega's distress. Luckily or not, Koyuki was too into his self-depreciating self that he didn't hear. "We're talented, sure, and maybe sometimes you think we could still make it without you. But not only is that untrue, Beck isn't just about talent. Look at Yoshi, with his raw talent, he's been through several bands which I'm sure had great talent as well, otherwise he wouldn't have even considered it. But he still left them and now he's sticking to Beck . Why? It's Chemistry. And you can't have the right chemistry if you and your band mates don't have the same feel for music. Koyuki, we've always had Chemistry but don't you know? What you started at _Greatful_ Sound made that even stronger, no... You made it unbreakable."

"Saku..."

Saku smiled softly at him. "Koyuki, you have the kind of heart most people don't these days, and I may not know exactly what Ryusuke had meant when he said he found you interesting," he sort of lied. "But I wouldn't be surprised if it was because of that." He chuckled, waving off the sappy atmosphere. "I said a lot of things, but I guess if you want my advice, then this is it: Be yourself, I'm sure Ryusuke wouldn't have it any other way either."

Koyuki smiled happily before hugging his friend. "You're the best, Saku! Taira's lucky to have you for a mate." He told him.

"Heh, nah, I'm the luckier one." Saku chuckled, patting him on the back. "But thanks."

Koyuki pulled away and stood up. "I'll go start dinner. Come down in an hour after your nap, okay?" He waved before heading out.

"Koyuki's more right than you, though." Saku blinked as he felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning, he sees Taira back on the bed, seeming to have managed to get his clothes back on while under the bed. "I'm the lucky one."

Saku blushed, realizing Taira heard everything. He shook his embarrassment off by kissing the blond, to which the omega eagerly kissed back. Then, the blond pulled back, chuckling a bit.

"What's so funny?"

"I just realize you and Koyuki still believe something as cliché as giving a confession before dating." The blond snickered. "Now, that's cute. Is that why you could never even ask me out before?"

Saku's face exploded red before hitting his mate with a pillow. 

──────────────────────────────────────────────────

Ryusuke was still racking his head for a date plan. He wanted to keep it simple as to not come out too strong, but he definitely didn't want it to be a simple bordering cliché first date kind of thing either. It would feel too much like a real date. Not that it wasn't, but if it was that obvious, he was considering the possibility of Koyuki being more fidgety about it. He sighed, deciding to turned on the radio just to have a background noise. The silence was killing him.

As a musician, he was used to always having something to listen to.

"Ryusukeeee!" Chiba suddenly came barging and tackled him. "you did it man!" Ryusuke grumbled as he was tackled off his bed, thinking he was starting to miss the silence already. "You finally manned up and asked Koyuki out, that's great!"

Ryusuke sighed, but he did appreciate his fellow alpha's support.

"So, how'd you pull off the **kokuhaku**?"

The Head Alpha raised a brow. He may have been getting the hang of Japanese communication but some words and terms still escape him. "What's a **kokuhaku**?"

"Eeeeeh?" Chiba stared at the long-haired raven in shock. "You gave Koyuki a **kokuhaku** and you don't even know what it is?"

"I'm not sure I even gave him anything lately. What's a ko-ku-ha-ku in English?" Ryusuke wasn't really sure Chiba knew, he was the least fluent in English of them all, but it didn't hurt to try.

Chiba seemed to understand the Alpha's confusion now. "Oh, I guess you're still rusty in Japanese to know what I said. My bad, bro," He grinned and patted the raven's back. "Uhhh, now lemme think... Hmm... Ah, yeah. In English, I guess it what's you call... a confushion?"

"Uh, I don't think there is something called a con-fushion."

Chiba scratched his head. "Really? You have no word to define how a persons tells someone special their true feelings? Wow," He whistled. "How do Americans get together then?"

"WHAAAAT?! You meant a _love confession_?" Ryusuke turned red. "I didn't do that! I just asked him on a date, jeez! It's too early for that."

Chiba stared at him incredulously. "You're shitting me, so Koyuki has no idea you even like him?"

"No, of course not, we haven't even started dating officially yet!"

"You dumbass, you gotta confess before you ask someone out!"

"You're the dumbass! People get to know each other first through dating before they get to confessing!"

"Maybe in America. In Japan, we at least tell someone we like them first before asking them out, you're doing it wrong!"

For a split second, Ryusuke felt chagrined, realizing that must be why Koyuki hadn't known that he was asking him out on a date. But he shook it off. "Screw culture clichés! I'm doing it my way."

"Yeah, remember where that got us before?"

"Watch it, Chiba, I'm the _Head Alpha_ , remember?"

Ryusuke and Chiba started growling at each other. There were about to pounce at each other when they were both hit by a pair of slippers, one for each of them. They were the soft kind, so it only served as a way of getting attention. When they turned, they saw Taira by the opened door.

"Can it, you two. I can smell your pheromones from down the hall," Taira rolled his eyes. "Whatever you're arguing about can wait after dinner."

Chiba whined. "But Taira! He asked Koyuki out without confessing first, that's just not right!"

"What the fuck, don't tell me you still believe in confessions having to go first, too." Taira frowned. Sure, he said it was cute when Saku believed in it. But that was a purely bias opinion because he really can't say the same about Chiba. "Man, that's too **Shoujo**."

Chiba huffed indignantly. "So? Starting with confessions guarantees a successful relationship!" he said with great conviction.

"And this is coming from your _VAST_ experience in romance, right?" Ryusuke quipped sarcastically.

Chiba punched him in the arm. "Shut up! You breaker of ideals, I bet you didn't even plan the dating activities right!"

"I...!" Ryusuke was about to protest, before scowling. "Shut up, it's none of your business anyway."

Taira raised a brow. "You do have a plan though, right?" Ryusuke kept silent. The blond groaned. "Oh my god, you don't, do you? Ugh why are all alphas idiots?"

"Hey! I resent that."

"Damn you, you're proof of it."

"Yoshi, Koyuki said dinner's starting to get cold, what's taking so..." Saku stopped when he felt the tension. "Uh, what's the problem?"

Chiba gestured to Ryusuke. "Mr. _Head Alpha_ here has got no plan for tomorrow's date, the fucker."

"Shut up," Ryusuke scowled. "unless you're contributing any good ideas, then..."

Saku interrupted as he took Taira's hand, "Koyuki loves stir-fry, Ishiguro-senpai got him into bowling, Chiemi Kuniyoshi has a small charity concert tomorrow night at **Hanamaru** park, and he's a huge fan. There Ryusuke, stop overthinking things, and let's go have dinner." he pulled the blond away to decrease his stress levels. Chiba followed after at the mention of food.

Ryusuke stopped talking at Saku's instant solution. _Damn, getting schooled by a Beta...And I thought_ Head Alphas _were supposed to know their shit..._

──────────────────────────────────────────────────

Ryusuke told Koyuki to go ahead to the **Natsuyoru** park by twelve so they could meet up. The alpha had to spend his morning with his grandmother, helping her fishing pond business. Ryusuke may be living with the band now but he still felt in debt to his grandmother for some reasons to keep up working for her as a side line, even if money was no longer really a major issue.

"Why don't I just pass by and we can go there together?"

Ryusuke shrugged. "I'll be heading some other place after then, it's a little out of the way." He said, "So I'll see you then."

"Oh, okay." Koyuki accepted that.

Ryusuke didn't bother specifying that he needed to go see Yoshito for the tickets he texted him to spare last night for Chiemi's concert later tonight.

Koyuki arrived at the park a little passed twelve-thirty, he probably would have gotten there earlier if he wasn't so worked up about choosing an outfit. It took Saku choosing one of his favorite shirts, a hoodie and pants and kicking him out of his own room to get going. He waited on a bench. He smiled lightly, remembering it was in a bench located in a road similar to this that he first met Beck, a weird-looking dog, that also led him to meeting Ryusuke. It seemed such a long time ago. He was lost in his thoughts he didn't realize that his foot was sticking out and he almost tripped someone. He was about to apologize when he realized the person didn't deserve one.

"Wow, lookit this, one of Taira's buddies," Fumi said, looking down on him. "so tell me, who's the bitchy slut fucking this time?"

Koyuki ignored him, deciding that someone who talked that crudely of one of his closest friends isn't worth wasting his breath on.

"Hey bitch, look at me when I'm talking to you," Fumi growled. "what, did Taira's bad attitude rub off on you, too? The fucker really needs an alpha to put him in his place."

Koyuki huffed, glaring at the guy. "If there's anyone who needs to be shown his place, it's you! Just because you're an alpha, don't think you're better than us!"

"Who's _US_? Omegas? Please," One of Fumi's friends laughed. "Everyone knows all an omega is good for is fucking and making babies. If you can't even do that, then you're just as useless as a beta."

"Hey, speaking of, you guys heard? The blondie ended up mating with a beta!"

"Get out!" They all started laughing. "So Taira can't even even make babies, now that makes them both useless."

Koyuki was fed up with this. He tried to throw a punch, but Fumi caught it. He grumbled, not letting that stop him from sticking up for his friends. "You stupid assholes, it's not impossible for an omega and beta to reproduce. Even if he still couldn't, Taira's better off without you. You're an alpha who lost him to a so-called _useless_ beta, so what does that make you?"

Even Fumi's friends couldn't help laughing at the aforementioned alpha for that blow. Fumi growled at them to shut up before grabbing Koyuki by the waist. The omega struggled to break free.

"Taira's definitely rubbing off on you," Fumi hissed, tightening his hold on Koyuki's wrist. "I should show you the pleasure of submitting to an alpha, a real mate."

"Let me go, you big je—!"

"Shut up!"

Koyuki stiffened at the tone, whimpering in submission. He didn't want to, but his body didn't seem to be in the same wavelength. He knew it was an omega's instincts to submit and he wondered how long it took for Taira to be able to resist it more so than others.

"That's a good boy." Fumi cooed, groping Koyuki's ass. "so soft... You should be happy, I don't usually go for younger guys even if they are an omega."

Koyuki whinned, his attempts to resist were weak.

"Hey, hey, Fumi, let us have some of the goods."

Fumi growled at them. "Shut up, you're getting nothing after laughing at m—"

"BASTARD!" A fist suddenly crashed into Fumi's face, "You got some nerve, you piece of shit!"

Koyuki immediately ran towards his rescuer; Ryusuke. Without being fully aware of his actions, he embraced the alpha tightly. Ryusuke wrapped his arm around him protectively.

"S-Shit, it's Ryusuke! When did he get back?"

"Ryusuke? As in Minami Ryusuke, the guy who took on a murderer? Shit! We're screwed!"

"What the hell you fuckers pissing for?" Fumi growled, glaring at Ryusuke as he wiped the blood off his nose. "He's nothing but a piece of—"

Ryusuke growled fiercer. Fumi widened his eyes, sensing the aura of a Head Alpha in him. One thing about an alpha, if they are made leader of a Family Pack, their imposition of authority becomes greater, to anyone whether or not that person belonged within the pack. This was due to the fact that they don't only carry their own presence with them, but the presence of their bonded pack even when said pack weren't nearby. The aura is even more intense if the alpha needed to protect a member, though.

" ** _Scram. You get one warning._** "

That was enough to send the three alphas running off. Ryusuke continued glaring, making sure they weren't planning to come back before sitting Koyuki down the bench and checking him for injuries. He was relieved when he saw that there were none.

"I'm sorry, if I came earlier..."

Koyuki shook his head. "No, I'm just glad you came when you did." he sighed. "Just give me a moment to calm down." he placed a hand to his heart and started breathing.

"Okay. Oh, I hope you're hungry." Ryusuke asked as he went through his bag.

Koyuki shook his head, sighing. "After being touched up like that, I think I lost my appeti—" he trailed off at the smell of Teriyaki sauce. He opened his eyes and blinked at the dish in front of him. "Is that...Teriyaki beef stir-fry?" his mouth started watering.

"Uh, yeah. I'm glad it looks like one, I asked grandma to help me make one. But I did most of it and she scolded me a lot," Ryusuke rubbed the back of his head. "I just hope I got the taste right."

Koyuki nodded slowly, taking the chopsticks that the Alpha had offered. He started with a mushroom and immediately moaned in delight. "It tastes awesome, Ryusuke!"

"I'm gonna have to take your word for it."

"You haven't tasted it yet? You really should!"

"Nah, I'm good." Ryusuke showed the omega a burger. "Eat up. I did make it for you."

Koyuki widened his eyes, a blush suddenly covering his cheeks. "R-really? Why?"

"Saku told me you loved stir-fry. At first, I was considering taking to some restaurant that serves it for lunch. But then it got me thinking that even Saku could do that," Ryusuke shrugged as he bit on his burger. "I wanted to do something for you that Saku couldn't, or maybe if he could make it, something he hasn't done for you yet."

Koyuki raised a brow. "Why are you competing with Saku?"

"He's your best friend, and I realize that means he knows you most. Eventually, Koyuki, I want to be the one that knows you most" Ryusuke smiled at the younger boy "and use that to make you happy."

Koyuki's cheeks turned even redder. He went back to eating to hide it. That sounded like a proposal! He thought before shaking his head. _Don't over think it, Koyuki!_ He did some research and found out Americans normally don't confess until after several dates as oppose to how the Japanese do it. Sometimes, they even date friends and most of the time, they just stay friends. _That's what this is, a friendly date. It's not like Ryusuke and I would actually be more than friends..._ Koyuki frowned at the thought suddenly.

"Is something wrong? Did I overdo it with the spices? Or... Damn, I knew I burned a mushroom or two..."

"Ah, no, it really tastes great, Ryusuke." Koyuki assured, "Here you should try a bite at least." Without thinking, he picked up a piece of beef with rice and a mushroom between the chopsticks. He lifted it up to Ryusuke and froze as he looked into the alpha's eyes, realizing he was actually feeding him. "Ah..."

Ryusuke blinked, not expecting for Koyuki to be bold enough to actually try the cliché thing where a girl feeds the guy on a picnic date. While Koyuki didn't have that intention, Ryusuke thought he did. He smiled and took a bite.

"You're right, it's great."

"Hehe... Heh... See, maybe you can take turns with me and Taira, too, when it comes to making dinner."

"Hmm, nah. Cooking's not my thing..." Ryusuke smiled at Koyuki. "unless, of course, I'm doing it for you."

If it was possible, Koyuki turned even redder. 

──────────────────────────────────────────────────

"Yuji, I told you it's okay, you don't have to treat me out today." Taira chuckled as his mate was practically dragging him out the door. "It wasn't your fault."

Saku shook his head and persisted on. "No way. You had to stay under my bed until Koyuki left, I haven't even cleaned there yet," he said. "I'm making it up to you."

"Didn't you want to purchase a new drum set, though? At least choose a cheaper place to eat at so you could still save up for i—"

Saku suddenly pulled Taira closer and gave a chaste kiss to the blond. "The band funds and my personal funds are separate, remember? I already took it up to Ryusuke and left it to him to decide. Plus... You're way more important than that, you come first, the drums can wait."

Taira flushed before smiling. He hugged the beta tightly. "If you really want to make it up to me, why not just cuddle?"

"Tempting," Saku blushed, before smiling. "But I don't want our relationship to be all about that."

Taira chuckled. "This is why I love you, Yuji. Fine, let's get going." he held on to his mate's hand.

Saku took Taira to one of those restaurants that tries to pass off as fancy but isn't high-end enough that it would be difficult to get in without a reservation, plus they weren't dressed too fancy either. Saku wore a light green button down shirt and Taira, as usual, had his trademark yellow jacket. The blond was surprised, starting to feel hesitant once more. It was true that they just got paid, but since Saku was adamant in paying for everything or ' _It wouldn't constitute as me treating you out_ '. Still, Taira didn't really like being completely on the receiving side in these cases.

"It's okay, Yoshi," Saku suddenly spoke as they got seated, smiling as he could tell what Taira was thinking. "You can be yourself, your entire self when you're with me, I just want to take care of my lover, Taira Yoshiyuki, and I'm not here because you can't do that for yourself, I believe you're capable on your own. I'm just here so you know... It doesn't mean you always have to prove your point."

Taira was touched by his words, amazed by them even. Of course he always knew that the band knew about his tendency to prove his independence, how it's to fight the stereotype of omegas being fragile and submissive, attracted by the dominance and authority of an alpha. He appreciated how supportive they are. But it can also get tiring on his part as an omega. It is in an omega's nature to please someone. He felt a big burden lift from his shoulders now that he finally found someone he wanted to please, and not just needed to please.

Koyuki truly had it right, he was lucky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahaha, sorry for the OOC, but the Taira in full-mom mode is my favorite comic relief.
> 
> KOKUHAKU
> 
> Love Confession
> 
> Among Japanese teenagers the most basic way of starting to date someone is by giving them a "kokuhaku" or love confession. This sounds a bit creepy but it's not so much telling someone you love them but rather the Japanese way of letting them know you like them and asking them out.
> 
> One thing that is very different in Japan is that it is not uncommon for a woman to ask a man out. I have to confess that I had a crush on a boy in junior high and my friends forced me to do the kokuhaku ritual. Unfortunately it doesn't always work out as the boy wasn't interested in me. If you confess and she/he says yes, you two could be considered a couple.
> 
> NATSU - Summer
> 
> YORU - Night
> 
> Natsuyoru is my own word play for "Summer Night" park.


	10. Omega Role

Koyuki didn't really expect Ryusuke to bring him to the bowling alley next. But now that he thought about it, when it came to this date, he couldn't even imagine what to expect. The young omega never really saw Ryusuke get into anything that wasn't related to music, which may explain his awkward handling on the bowling ball. He recalled a similar instance, when he saw Ryusuke awkwardly handling a baseball bat.

"Uh, Ryusuke," Koyuki tried not to smile as it may come out like he was making fun of him.

Ryusuke looked up at him, feeling a little annoyed that he either gets a gutter ball or only a few pins down. "What?"

Koyuki couldn't help chuckling, knowing Ryusuke had always been easily frustrated. It didn't bother him as much as before. "Here," he guided the older boy's fingers. "You got to find a grip you're comfortable with. Um, try how I do it. You put your thumb, pointer, and index fingers inside the holes. Not the pointer, index, and ring finger. The ring finger is kinda the weakest, but the thumb supports the ball better. You use the other hand to help support the ball, and try lining up your shot with the arrows before releasing, it's not about how hard you throw it. Just the right force and timing." Ryusuke gave it a try and he got his first strike. Koyuki clapped at that. "See, you did it! You'll catch up to my score in no time."

"I can't help but feel like you're patronizing me," Ryusuke deadpanned, but he smiled eventually. "I was always so caught up in music, I guess I never really tried other things in general. I mean, I know how bowling works, at least the mechanics of it, but I never really tried it. Obviously, I'm not the most patient person in the world and when it comes to music, that's the time I try to muster up more patience."

"Uhhh..."

"Yeah, I know it's not much. I think it's better to say I have more tolerance for it," Ryusuke chuckled. "So other stuff can barely keep me entertained for long. That's why I didn't get into college to go into business, like my dad wanted to."

"Your dad wanted you to get into business?"

Ryusuke stretched, returning to his seat. "Well yeah, saying I'm the Eldest and gotta take over the family business and shit. But I'm not one for _Niceties_ that comes with the job description. Too much of a hot-head." he sighed. "So I lived with my grandma instead just so he would stop bugging me about having to follow him since _I live under his roof_ and all. I'm just glad my grandma was more supportive about it, but I think she was little too happy when I told her I'd be moving out. I mean, I know I can be a bit too much to handle but..."

"Yeah, you are." Koyuki smirked when Ryusuke looked at him in annoyance. "What? I'm agreeing with you. I thought you didn't like it when someone argues with you."

Ryusuke smirked at that, "Heh, when did you get cheeky?" he shook his head. "But true. I wouldn't have put up with Chiba's shit for this long if it wasn't for the sake of the band. So, I only tolerate the irritation when it comes to music because I actually love it. For me, other things can't hold my attention for too long."

Koyuki shrugged, taking up his turn. He lined up his shot and released, getting his tenth strike.

"As for you, you can pretty much do anything you put your mind into," Ryusuke mused. "Bowling, Swimming... Music, you're great, Koyuki."

The younger boy laughed bashfully. "Heh, but I don't have the patience to do just one thing repeatedly, so it makes me average, at best, since I don't have the focus you do. Izumi-chan taught me how to bowl, she got me into swimming, and she pushed me to be passionate about music. Looking back, I think I tried all those things to impress her."

"Izumi-chan...? Oh, that girl from before?" Ryusuke felt a little jealous all of the sudden. "I haven't talked to her in a while."

Koyuki sat back down, "Yeah, neither have I. So I don't really go bowling or swimming so much anymore."

"How about music?"

"Eh?"

"Why do you keep up with music?" Ryusuke clarified. "Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you did. But if it's not about impressing her..."

Koyuki didn't hesitate to answer. "It's because of you."

"What?" Ryusuke widened his eyes, and he felt himself blush.

Koyuki got a little embarrassed now too. "Well, I was fourteen and I didn't really know what I wanted to do with my life. It was dull, I was going through the motions..." he rubbed the back of his head. "Then I watched your first live show, and I saw how passionate you were about music... Sure, Izumi-chan and even Maho got me motivated to improve and all, I figured that's why Izumi-chan made me try swimming to help with my vocals, but I think... I know you're the one that kept me going. I felt like I'd disappoint you if I suddenly stopped, and somehow... I didn't like that."

"Even... After how I treated you when I thought you broke my guitar?"

"Eh? No, I really did!"

"Well, yeah, but it was the knock-off version of the real thing." Ryusuke sighed, chagrined. "If I'd known you didn't break the actual thing I wouldn't have made a big deal about it and risked ruining our friendship... No," he frowned deeply. "Even if it had been the real thing, I shouldn't have treated you so badly."

"No, it's okay... Er, well, no I guess it wasn't, but I understood. The guitar had sentimental value right? It was important."

"Yeah, I guess, but right now." Ryusuke suddenly reached out to hold Koyuki's hand. "You're more important. Even more so than _Prudence_."

Koyuki widened his eyes at the comparison, finding it very hard to think realistically that this was just a friendly date. Not only hard, but it was painful.

"Oh," Ryusuke checked his watch. "It's almost time. We gotta go." he stood up and started pulling Koyuki after him.

The omega blinked, checking his own phone for the time. "Eh? But we still have half an hour left." he pointed out. "Besides, it's not like we have anywhere else to be."

Ryusuke just grinned secretly.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────

Koyuki widened his eyes at the people gathered at **Hanamaru** park. He had no idea that there would be a late night concert. When they were nearing the entrance to the area, Ryusuke handed him his ticket. He got a good look at it before handing it to the reception table.

Koyuki gasped, turning around towards Ryusuke. "Chiemi Kuniyoshi?! Are you serious?!"

"Yeah, Yoshito's one of the acts opening for her and he spared me two tickets." Ryusuke shrugged. "He also got me _V.I.P._ meet and greet cards. I think he's trying to get my blessing too much, as an alternative from dad who wouldn—"

Koyuki suddenly got into his face and grabbed Ryusuke's hands. "For real?! I get to meet Chiemi later?!"

"Woah, Koyuki calm down." Ryusuke couldn't help but smirk at the boy's enthusiasm. "You're acting like a crazed fan boy right now. Come on, you're a Rock star yourself, have a little dignity." he teased, chuckling.

Koyuki's grin didn't falter in the slightest as he hugged the taller male. "You're the best, Ryusuke!" he cheered.

Ryusuke blushed, not expecting to suddenly have the boy in his arms. Not that he was complaining. To be honest, he wasn't into Pop music that much. But if it made Koyuki this happy, maybe he should try it out sometimes.

"Woah, I don't believe it," A familiar voice suddenly spoke. "Is that really you, Ryusuke?"

Ryusuke and Koyuki pulled away from each other, the Alpha scowling at the appearance of his former band mate, Kimura Eiji. More annoying, he had that cheeky Miyazawa Manabu with him. Koyuki frowned, sensing Ryusuke's annoyance. He looked back and forth between the two Alpha band leaders. Manabu looked pretty carefree about it, though. Then again, he was usually like that.

"I never thought I'd see you in a Japanese Pop concert." Eiji mused. "It's really not your scene."

Koyuki blinked, staring at Ryusuke. _If he didn't like Japanese Pop, then why did he...?_ He frowned. _Is he just forcing it... Since I like it?_

"Buzz off, Eiji," Ryusuke sneered. "It's none of your business. Besides, you're here, too."

Eiji shrugged. "Yoshito got _Belle Ame_ a spot to open for Chiemi. Not my type either, but Ran was for it since any publicity is good publicity." he sighed.

"So I see you're still playing puppet and letting the guy string you along." Ryusuke smirked. "this is why _Beck_ 's much better than your poor excuse for a band, I can't believe Yoshito's still singing for you."

Eiji glared at Ryusuke something fierce, and he lifted up his arm with a fist. Ryusuke got into a defensive stance. Koyuki panicked, unsure what to say to prevent a brawl from happening. Publicity or not, it was never a good thing for alphas to get into a fist fight.

"Now, now, Eichan," Manabu suddenly hooked his arm around the arm the red-head was about to use to throw a hit. "we came over to talk, remember? He's Shitochan's future brother-in-law, too. Play nice." Ryusuke blinked, not knowing what got him to cool down faster. Koyuki's arms around his waist or the blond calling the red-head Eichan... Or the fact that he just found out Eiji was apparently dating Manabu now. The other alpha turned redder than his hair. "Remember, we need their help, too." Manabu looked down at Koyuki, literally speaking. "especially the little one."

Koyuki blinked, confused.

"Yeah, you're right." Eiji sighed. He looked at Ryusuke and the raven alpha was surprise to see him look apologetic, and not even in a forced way. "Dude, let's call a truce. We really need to talk." he offered a hand. "Let's start over, cool?"

Ryusuke and Koyuki glanced at each other. The alpha never thought Eiji could humble himself. Whatever reason he has, it must be important to him. Even more so than pride, which was a big deal for an alpha. After all, Ryusuke himself was in a pop concert for Koyuki.

The raven alpha nodded, grasping the red head's hand. "Cool."

"Thanks Ryusuke, this means a lot." Eiji actually smiled, and he looked grateful.

Ryusuke wasn't normally sappy, but he was glad he made the decision. "Yeah, but what's up? I have to admit, I'm a little surprised." The raven alpha told him. "I take it that it has something to do with Manabu?"

It seemed like the obvious reason. One of the only reason an alpha would stop making their pride a priority in making decisions is when it directly involves their mate, whether bonded or not. Clearly, Eiji and Manabu were dating now. Manabu had been holding Eiji's hand already prior to the confrontation, which was probably how he was able to quickly reach over to hook the other's arm to stop a fight from escalating.

"Yeah, more or less," Eiji sighed. "To be honest, I agree with you. I've been letting Ran take over a little too much because it seemed like the easiest way to get to fame, I forgot the kind of band I wanted for myself. He doesn't really even care about _Belle Ame_ as a band. And I only realized it when he didn't care enough to risk Manabu's safety."

Manabu nodded. "We found out from Yoshito. Tanaka-kun, you have the _Omega Note_ as well, don't you?" he looked at the younger boy.

"Wait, what?" Both Ryusuke and Koyuki said at once. But it was the younger omega who continued to speak. "You have it too, Miyazawa-kun?"

Eiji sighed, wrapping his arm around the blond protectively. "Yeah, Ran came clean to us about it during one show. It ended up with a pack of fangirls going crazy and almost pulled Manabu off the stage. We thought the night was just crazier than usual, but no. It was almost around the same time we heard of that incident in Seattle. Of course, we heard of that News from Ran too." he grumbled. "And instead of thinking about safety precautions, he thought of the competition since _Beck_ has an omega with the _Note_ too, and allowed Manabu to continue singing, despite knowing of the risk on his safety. Looks like he thought as an omega, Manabu should just utilize his unique appeal to get more fans for _Belle Ame_."

"So far, it's good since our concert goers are usually girls, likewise, female alphas were the ones who tried to drag me down. But there were a few close calls with the male ones. When I stopped singing, a guy seemed to snap out of a haze before he could get to me." Manabu shook his head. "We've been trying to get Ran to break our contract with him when we realize he wasn't going to change his way of dealing with the band. Sure, it's not like I want to stop singing because that wouldn't help our band, but at the same time, it doesn't help Eiji's alpha instincts from going dangerously protective every time I go out singing. Speaking of... Eiji, **itai**." he said pointedly to the arm around his waist.

Eiji eased up on the grip but didn't completely let go.

"Okay, I think I'm seeing the problem, more or less." Ryusuke nodded. "but I don't see how I could help."

Koyuki had to agree with that. "Or me. I never met the guy personally, but he doesn't seem to like Beck that much." he mused.

"Yeah, I mean, he tried voting _Beck_ out of _Greatful Sound_. He's not exactly a fan." Ryusuke said.

Eiji nodded firmly, pointing at Ryusuke. "Exactly."

"Eh?"

Manabu smirked. "Of course we've been trying some pranks to get Ran fed up with us. Since he knows what we're going for, he's not cracking, thinking it's just a phase." he rolled his eyes. "But if we had _Beck_ , even some of them, play with us in our Opening for Chiemi, it'll be the final nail in the coffin."

"You want us to play back up for you?" Ryusuke raised a brow.

Eiji shook his head. "No, we want you to play alongside us." he clarified. "Both our bands, on equal footing."

"And you're sure this will work?"

"Ran's all about competition. Collaborations with a single artist, he can deal with since they're not a band like us, but playing with other bands that are as new as ours and not a big shot band already like _Dying Breed_ is a big no for him. It's still my band so I still get the final say in the projects we do. Once he sees I'm willing to go for a that specific angle, he'll want nothing to do with _Belle Ame_."

"He can't work his influence here, either. It's still Japan," Manabu said. "So, Chiemi and Yoshito are bigger deals than him considering our country's nationalism, so Belle Ame won't be going when he does. How about it, Tanaka-kun? We got off the wrong foot before, but do you mind helping us out?"

Koyuki shook his head. "No, I'm in." he agreed willingly. Manabu wasn't Taira, but as an omega himself, he had his pride to show the world that there was more to him. He wanted to support that. "Let's do it."

"Sure Eiji, I know how crappy it is when some business idiot sucks the fun out of playing music." Ryusuke agreed, "we're in."

Eiji smiled, looking relieved. "Thanks man," he bowed his head slightly. "and sorry if this got in the way of your date time."

"Well, it's not exactly over until they get on bed, so they're still good." Manabu shrugged.

Ryusuke and Koyuki both turned beet red. "Wh-What does that even mean?!" The omega sputtered. "we're just friends!"

"Oooh? You two aren't..." Manabu blinked before chuckling, covering his mouth with a hand. "Wow Ryusuke, when it comes to romance, you and Eiji sure are slower than a turtle."

Eiji huffed. "I told you, I had a plan."

"A plan to confess when we both have gray hair? Yeah, I don't think so." Manabu flicked the alpha on the nose. "Besides, sex is better when you're young."

"OKAY!" Ryusuke cleared his throat. "how about getting us some guitars before we change our mind?"

──────────────────────────────────────────────────

Yoshito came with some extra guitars. He gave his own thanks to Ryusuke and Koyuki for their help. Ryusuke figured his eagerness to get him the tickets and _V.I.P._ cards hadn't been completely to get his blessing now.

Yoshito went out the tent to check if they were on soon.

"By the way, Eiji." Ryusuke started as they checked the equipment backstage. "have you heard of an _Alter Choker_? Apparently, it'll help minimize the effect of an _Omega Note_."

Eiji nodded as he handed the raven alpha a guitar. "Yeah, with no help from Ran." he scoffed. "I already ordered online. It'll be here by tomorrow, though. Manabu and I already agreed he wouldn't sing until then."

"Tomorrow? Then wait," Ryusuke blinked. "Who's singing? Yoshito?"

Eiji raised a brow. "Well, no, he has a sore throat. Either way, we put him on the keyboard now. He plays it better anyway. I was hoping that little guy could." he gestured at Koyuki. "I mean, it'll work better, a _Beck_ band member singing a _Belle Ame_ song. He'll probably sing it better than Yoshito since, you know, he's an actor not a singer."

"Hey! I heard that!" Yoshito called out from outside the tent.

"Oh yeah?" Ryusuke couldn't help growling. "And what were you thinking to do if Koyuki got attacked?"

Koyuki suddenly spoke up. "I won't get attacked," Ryusuke turned around to protest when he saw the omega pull on his hoodie to expose his neck, showing that he had been wearing the _ACho_ all this time. "I came prepared."

"Wow. What made you think you'd need it?"

Koyuki rubbed the back of his head. "Well, you did say you accidentally k-kissed me" he blushed. "since I unconsciously used the Note. I didn't want any stranger kissing me because of that. Uh... Ahem. So, Miyazawa-san, which song should I sing?" he turned away quickly.

Manabu threw Ryusuke an annoyed look before turning his attention back to Koyuki.

Even Eiji stared at his fellow alpha. "You kissed the guy, you're dating the guy, but he's not..."

"Eiji, please," Ryusuke pinched his eyes shut. "I already hear enough of it from my band mates, especially Taira, don't you start, too."

Eiji laughed, shaking his head. "Weak."

"Shut up, Eichan," Manabu called out. "it took me getting knocked down a stage for you to grow some balls and confess, so you aren't any better."

Eiji flushed in embarrassment. The raven Alpha couldn't even laugh or make fun of him, thinking of how that sounded like Taira for a moment.

"Seriously," Ryusuke groaned. "omegas should be the dominant gender."

"You think so, too, huh?" Yoshito came back in.

Eiji rolled his eyes. "We all do, damn it."

──────────────────────────────────────────────────

Of course, both Taira and Saku were still musicians at heart. One way or another, their date had to end with something about music. They decided to go to this nice café that had an open mike for some karaoke singing. It was Unlimited singing for anyone who made a purchase, not that Taira and Saku were one for singing too much. But a lot of people definitely were, if the crowd was anything to go by.

"Saku-chan!"

Both heads were raised as a High school girl approached them, one who Saku was familiar with.

"Oh, Hiromi-chan." Saku bowed his head slightly. "Long time no see."

Taira raised a brow.

"Yeah, it's been a while. You and Koyuki are real jerks, you know that?" Hiromi huffed but with no real heat. "It's been boring in school since you guys both dropped out."

Saku chuckled. "Yeah, well, I can't really say I regretted it." he shrugged. "It would be hard keeping grades up with everything else we've got going on."

"Yeah, I heard about that tour." The female beta said, eyes gleaming. "You guys are really awesome!"

Saku bowed his head in thanks. "We still got some ways to go. How about you?" he asked. "Still practicing the guitar?"

"Ehe, no. I don't really think it's my thing, but I'm still into music." Hiromi told him. "with the training I'm getting in gymnastics, some girls and I formed an amateur girl band. We just dance to some pop songs and try singing them, just for fun, nothing serious."

Saku patted her shoulder. "That's good, it's a start. Who knows, you guys might be the next _Aphasia_."

"Don't tease, Saku-chan." Hiromi laughed at the comparison.

Taira felt like he needed insert himself in this conversation. "Hello," he hooked an arm around Saku's possessively. "I'm Taira Yoshiyuki, Yuji's mate."

Hiromi blinked, surprised. Saku looked shocked too, if not a little flustered. Suddenly, the High School girl got really excited. "Oh my god!" she squealed. "Is this the guy you've always gushed about? Oh my goodness! Congratulations Saku!" she clapped her hands excitedly.

"Gushed?" Taira blinked, suddenly feeling ridiculous for getting jealous.

Saku managed a shy smile. "Yeah, he's my mate now," he wrapped an arm around Taira, giving him a knowing look. "who's probably feeling a little threatened, if not jealous."

"I'm not jealous!"

"Yeah," Saku winked. "that's why I said threatened."

Hiromi gasped, and starting making a fanning-dismissive gesture. "Oh, no, no, no. We're close but I don't like Saku-chan that way," she laughed. "Well, we did pretend to date. But that was only because some perverts kept peeking during my gymnastics club practice. Saku defended me one time, and they thought he was my alpha boyfriend cause he was really imposing. We let the rumor spread just to get them back off."

"Yeah, they didn't act up again since I'm no longer around, did they?" Saku frowned. Taira loved how compassionate and caring his mate was, but he didn't know what to think about it being directed towards someone else. "Should I come for a warning visit?"

Hiromi shook her head. "No, no. Sure, they acted up again. But this time, the school custodian caught them and they were suspended. Since then, we've got security guards making routine rounds." she assured.

"Hiromi-chan!"

"Oh, my friends are calling me. I'll see you around, Saku-chan. Tell Koyuki-kun hi for me. It was nice meeting you, Taira-san." Hiromi waved before getting back to them.

Saku waved back slightly before looking at his pouting omega. "Hey, look."

"What?" Taira raised a brow as the Beta pointed at the blond's sweat gland.

Saku smiled softly at him. "You're mine, and I'm yours, remember?"

"Hmm, maybe I need some reminding." Taira smirked. Saku laughed, shaking his head as he leaned over for a quick kiss. "Okay, I remember." Saku took his hand and pulled him to an empty table. The waiter who took their order said their milkshake was the best seller, so Taira ordered a couple's glass.

"Really?" Saku chuckled when the waiter left. "we could've ordered separate glasses."

Taira shook his head. "No, the couple's glass has more whip cream in it."

"Which is just a combination of two milkshakes worth of whip cream." Saku teased, reaching out to interlaced his fingers with the omega's. "Really Yoshi, you don't have to be jealous. While I admit it is kinda cute and flattering, I don't want you to feel the insecurity that comes with it."

Taira blushed, thinking of the disadvantages of Saku being able to read him like a book. He was about to respond when someone else did it for him.

"Yeah Taira, it's not like there's anything in a Beta that's worth getting jealous over." A familiar red-head spoke before leaning in between them. "and if you really want some whip cream I can give you some of mine."

The blond immediately growled at the interruption. "Don't flirt with me in front of my mate, Fumi."

"Does that mean I can flirt with you when you're not in front of him?"

Saku scowled. "It's rude listening in to other people's conversations, you know. You better leave, you're making Yoshiyuki agitated."

The Alpha growled in envy with the fact that Saku is able to use Taira's given name easily. He already figured that Taira wants nothing to do with him but that didn't mean he would make it easy for him.

"Heh, I was just teasing."

"Sure you were." Taira rolled his eyes.

Fumi ignored him. "I mean, I came over to offer my congratulations." he smirked. "Good going, Taira, I guess you finally found a beta you can toy with."

"Excuse me?" Taira started to get up, glaring at the alpha. Alarmed, Saku went over to his side to try and calm him down. "I don't need someone like you accusing me of toying with other people."

Fumi raised a brow for effect. "Oh really? Isn't that why you wanted a beta in the first place?"

"I wanted anyone who wouldn't didn't see me for my secondary gender, asshole." Taira growled, he knew he shouldn't waste his time arguing with the jerk but it felt like he needed to defend himself. "I didn't want some guy who just lets their baser instincts decide they wanted to fuck me."

Fumi laughed. "Yeah, which is the full description of a beta, if you ask me since those instincts are more predominant in an alpha and omega, but practically non-existent with betas." he shrugged. "Well, it's nice to know at least one of you are fulfilling their role."

"What the fuck does that even mean?!"

Saku started tugging on Taira's arms and motioning the waiter to settle their order in another table. "Taira, forget him. Let's just go."

"No way Yuji, this guy's trying my patie—"

Fumi interrupted again. "See? There it is again. For an omega, you refused to be dominated. I'm pretty sure the small fry here does his job well in pleasing you and your fucked up ideals." he shook his head. "But you? You sorry excuse for an omega, you can't even give him the pleasure of having children."

"Okay, let's get this show started!"

"Woooh!"

Suddenly, in the middle of their talk, the open mic for Karaoke singing began and the customers started crowding the dance floor, in fact, the only ones out of the dance floor were the three of them.

 

" _ **Who's got what it takes to be**_  
_**My guy**_  
_**What it takes to make**_  
_**Me shine**_  
_**What it takes to get**_  
_**Me fired up~**_

_**Who's got what it takes to be**_  
_**My beau**_  
_**What it takes to make**_  
_**Me glow**_  
_**What it takes to make**_  
_**This beat flow~**_

_**Everyone talks about what they think they need**_  
_**They make up a list of things: 1, 2, 3...**_  
_**Everyone is different but where we can agree**_  
_**Is every girl wants her boy to treat her sweet**_

_**Don't think that being mean will get you anywhere**_  
_**Don't think that acting cool will make me want to care**_  
_**I just need your respect, if you're gonna be the one**_  
_**And if you must apply then try to get the job done,**_ "

"That's what you were getting at? Fuck you!" Taira screamed to be heard over the crowd mostly, but also to express his frustration. "Yuji loves me for who I am not what I am, and he doesn't need me to give him children to be happy, tell him Yuji."

Saku frowned, not answering immediately.

"Y-Yuji?" Taira stuttered, shocked with the lack of response. In the face of Fumi's smug expression, he couldn't deal with the situation anymore. He went off on his own. "Screw you."

"Y-Yoshi!"

Fumi laughed. "Yeah, go ahead, screw him, Yuji."

"Shut up," Saku grumbled, not needing the brute to make this any worse. He went after Taira, pulling him aside to speak to him quietly and gently. "Yoshi, don't take it the wrong way. It's true that I love you for who you are and not because you're an omega, and I'm not saying I wouldn't love you if you can't give me children..."

Taira finished for him, feeling a little dejected. "... But you'd still want me to bear your kids, don't you?" he frowned. "But you know the probability of an omega and beta having kids is very slim, right? If... If you wanted kids, going for another beta is much..."

Taira felt frustrated, it's not like he didn't want children but it was never a strong desire. Which, again, was contrary to being an omega. He didn't want to admit it, but maybe there were some truth to Fumi's words. He would give Saku children, and he wouldn't want anything more than to have Saku father his children. But the chances of an omega and beta producing children is like three out of ten. But for both the omega and beta to be males, it would make the chances a one in a million.

" ** _Who's got what it takes to be_**  
_**My guy**_  
_**What it takes to make**_  
_**Me shine**_  
_**What it takes to get**_  
_**Me fired up~**_ "

"Well, yes, but like I said," Saku caressed Taira's face, "I love you either way. Sure, it would be disappointing, but I can deal with it. Besides, we're still kinda young not to mention we've got _Beck_. When the time comes, well, we could always adopt."

Taira bit his lip, there goes Saku again, compromising for his sake. It took Fumi messing with him to realize that, all this time, when he thought being with Saku would prove his ideals, his belief that not all omegas should give in to submission, here he was, being on the receiving end and taken care of by the beta's love and understanding. He was sure that he didn't lack in loving Saku, but he can't say the same by the amount of time he has actually shown it.

"Yoshi, please, talk to m—"

Just as Saku was about to bring him closer, the crowd got wilder and they ended up getting separated. Taira berated himself, annoyed that he actually let Fumi get to him. Now he was away from Saku and since the singer and her back-up were really good, the crowd got more pumped up, making it difficult to navigate or get his bearings. He couldn't remember where he had last saw the beta.

" ** _Who's got what it takes to be_**  
_**My beau**_  
_**What it takes to make**_  
_**Me glow**_  
_**What it takes to make**_  
_**This beat flow~**_ "

"Hey, you're Sakurai Yuji, right?"

Saku turned around, seeing a girl who was barely clothed. He flushed, turning away and pretending to not have heard her as he continued calling out for Taira. Suddenly, the girl was right in front of him, a flirty smile on her face and she smelled like booze.

" **Ano**... Excuse me, but I'm looking for someone right now." Saku tried to side-stepped away from her, but he got pushed from behind and ended up going right back. "Ah!"

The girl made sure he wouldn't get away again by wrapping her arms around his neck. "Don't worry, baby boy, you found her." she winked. "I may be a beta, but let me show you a good time."

"Please don't." Saku winced.

The girl nuzzled the drummer's chest. "I know you play drums for Beck. That's so hot, but~" she cuddled more, her hands groping all the inappropriate places. "you heart beat's hotter~"

" _ **Talk can be so cheap so I just look for action**_  
_**Be good to me If you want my attraction**_  
_**Maybe I just want too much but I don't really care**_  
_**I know I'm worth it and I know he's out there,**_ "

Taira widened his eyes as he finally spotted Saku in the crowd. Unfortunately, he wasn't alone. There was a girl moving in too close to his mate. Saku was doing his best to resist, but with so many bodies pressed in one area, it looked difficult to push her away.

He growled and immediately pushed passed the mass of bodies to get to him. He saw red when the girl started practically molesting his mate in public. He never felt so enraged before, not to mention violated. Saku was his official and bonded mate, there was no way anyone could just touch him up and get away with it.

" ** _Wait, wait_**  
_**You might be a contender**_  
_**Hey, hey,**_  
_**Can I borrow your sweatshirt**_

_**Normally I'm not the one to say hello first**_  
_**But if I didn't I might miss out and that**_  
_**Might hurt.**_ "

"Fuck off!" Taira hissed, shoving the girl away from his mate. The girl stumbled a bit, but what was more important is the fact that Saku was removed from her clutches. He took the chance to latch himself onto his mate. "This guy is my mate, you whore!"

Saku turned a deeper red as the omega started nuzzling his sweat gland over his head, scent marking him in a public place.

The girl hissed. "Hey, what the hell?! I saw him first, you slut. Who do you think you are? Just because you're an omega, you could..." She trailed off as soon as she realized who the blond was. "Oh my god, you're Taira Yoshiyuki!"

"That's right, bitch. Take a good look and realized who's the actual slut here," Taira hissed back at her, gripping on to Saku's shirt even tighter. "This guy's my mate, you hear? So back off!"

The girl panicked. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't realize... I couldn't smell you on him... I... bye!" she scurried off.

"Damn her," Taira scowled, frustrated that she really hadn't sensed that Saku was already bonded with him. He unwittingly proceeded to scent mark Saku. "I'll show her..."

" _ **Who's got what it takes to be**_  
_**My guy**_  
_**What it takes to make**_  
_**Me shine**_  
_**What it takes to get**_  
_**Me fired up~**_

_**Who's got what it takes to be**_  
_**My beau**_  
_**What it takes to make**_  
_**Me glow**_  
_**What it takes to make**_  
_**This beat flow~**_ "

"Yoshi," Saku cradled Taira's face between his hands. "are you okay? This isn't like you."

Taira whimpered, wanting as much contact from the Beta as possible, "I'm sorry, I'm a failure as an omega. But I love you, Yuji," he embraced his mate tighter, "Please don't give up on me, I'll try harder for you. Please... I don't care if I sound selfish, I don't want to look for anyone else, you make me so happy..."

"Yoshi, Yoshi, shhh... You make me happy, too. You're not a failure, you're perfect and I'll never give up on you nor do I want to be replaced either," Saku said softly, kissing away the tears the omega unconsciously shed. "Forget what that jerk said, he doesn't know you like I do. And I won't allow you thinking poorly of yourself any longer." he proceeded to pull them out of the crowd, towards the exit.

Taira didn't hesitate to follow, but he was a little confused. They didn't even have their milk shake, let alone pay for it. "Where are we going?"

" _ **I've been contemplating what it takes**_  
_**To make me give my heart**_  
_**Could you be the one, standing in the crowd**_  
_**I'm waiting to find out  
**_ ** _I'm waiting, waiting, waiting, oh_** "

"Home," Saku smiled, his hand on the door handle. His other, he used to bring Taira's face closer to press a chaste kiss to his lips. "So I can take care of my omega."

Taira blushed deeply by the implication and pushed Saku out of the door himself, leaving the crowd to enjoy the rest of their night. He was sure he would be enjoying the rest of his.

" _ **Who's got what it takes to be**_  
_**My guy**_  
_**What it takes to make**_  
_**Me shine**_  
_**What it takes to get**_  
_**Me fired up~**_

_**Who's got what it takes to be**_  
_**My beau**_  
_**What it takes to make**_  
_**Me glow**_  
_**What it takes to make**_  
_**This beat flow~**_

_**Who's got what it takes to be**_  
_**My guy**_  
_**What it takes to make**_  
_**Me shine**_  
_**What it takes to get**_  
_**Me fired up~**_

_**Who's got what it takes to be**_  
_**My beau**_  
_**What it takes to make**_  
_**Me glow**_  
_**What it takes to make**_  
_**This beat flow~**_ "

 

──────────────────────────────────────────────────

"Ah!"

Maybe it was a little rude to slam the door on Chiba's face, and maybe he should've at least apologized for running into him in the hall and making him drop his instant noodles, but Saku was desparate to get Taira to his bed. Not that Taira was complaining, with all the stress he had to deal with tonight, it made him horny and in need of comfort.

"Yuji..." Taira whined.

Saku proceeded to strip Taira off his clothes. "Shh, it's okay, I'll be gentle."

"I don't care if you're rough or gentle, just take me already." Taira grumbled, wrapping his arms around Saku's neck.

The beta chuckled before eagerly obliging to his omega's wishes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry Chiba was a little extra here, but I felt like I really needed to squeeze him in there.
> 
> *Aphasia - a Japanese girl band I just researched
> 
> Like I said, any rated scenes like smut scenes on bed will be in a separate chapter. Don't worry. If you wanna read about that, wait for the next chapter.


	11. EXTRA SCENE: Mates

 

Saku x Taira

"Ah!"

Maybe it was a little rude to slam the door on Chiba's face, and maybe he should've at least apologized for running into him in the hall and making him drop his instant noodles, but Saku was desperate to get Taira into his bed. Not that Taira was complaining, with all the stress he had to deal with tonight, it made him horny and in need of comfort.

"Yuji..." Taira whined.

Saku pulled the blond down, the Beta carefully hanging over him. The situation itself wasn't unusual, they made out several times, most times being in the dark. But the thought of how it would be different later than all those other times got them both more eager and excited than normal. Still, Saku who was always considerate took his time. Which was thoughtful or annoying depending on how you look at it.

He pulled down the zipper from his yellow jacket. The buttoned shirt Taira wore inside was white so his skin and nipples were showing faintly through it. Saku brushed fingers over them teasingly before he slowly undid the buttons of his inner shirt. The fabric was sticking, making it more difficult to take off because the blond was on his back. Saku finally got the materials off, exposing Taira's chest. Shyness was surfacing on the omega's face. It wasn't that this was his first time having his mate exposed to him like this, but Saku always found it captivating whenever he removes any form of clothing protecting Taira, the feeling that the blond's body was under his own always turned him on.

Saku finally placed his hands on the belt and took off his pants and exposed his underwear. Deciding to be devious, Saku pulled one leg out of his pants and tied the other to the bed. Taira whimpered, flustered beyond belief, since they never tried something as kinky as bondage before, even if this was hardly that. But it wasn't as if he was opposed to it either.

"Shh, it's okay, I'll be gentle."

"I don't care if you're rough or gentle, just take me already."

The beta chuckled before eagerly obliging to his omega's wishes. Even though it was dark, Saku could clearly see Taira's embarrassing pose with his long legs spread wide along with what laid between them. The younger boy took off his own pants before Saku leaned over and started teasing Taira's nipples, alternating between pinching and pulling on them. Taira moaned at the sensation, no matter how many times they made out, it always felt so good. In fact, the sensations only kept getting better and sweeter each time.

The beta poured some lotion and smeared it over the blond's entrance, and once his finger started poking and caressing his hole, Taira let out an involuntary squeak, shuddering at such an intimate touch. Saku blinked, not expecting such a sound from the blond. Embarrassed, the omega covered his mouth. The beta chuckled, shaking his head. He reached for the blond's hands and pulled it away.

"Don't start getting shy."

"I'm not! That was... This is just embarrassing."

"It was cute." Saku kissed each of the fingers on the hand he held. "besides, I want to hear the sounds you make. They're a big turn on."

Taira scowled at his lover. But before he could come up with a comeback on his own, Saku finally inserted a finger. The blond gasped at the sudden intrusion and he winced when the younger male started to wiggle it inside.

"Ah... c-cold..."

The Beta's finger and the omega's asshole, both areas were matching in slipperiness. The muscle of the passage Saku was touching was so tense, either from cold or nervousness. He began to wonder if they should really go through with this. "Are you okay?" Saku stopped moving for a while. "It doesn't hurt too bad, does it?" he frowned as he reached down to wipe the tears off the blond's face gently. "we can stop here if you—"

Taira whined. "No the fuck way, Yuji. Do you even have eyes?!" He growled, looking pointedly as his aroused erection standing straight up. "It's suppose to hurt. I can handle it, just go faster! Please, do me more..." he begged.

Something in Saku seemed to snap, probably his self-control, and he immediately added another finger. Taira yelped as the beta started to stretch him further but didn't protest. If anything, his twitching hole seemed to be gobbling up the digits. When Saku tried to pull his fingers out, the edges of the hole clung to them forcefully; it was getting excited. The blond's lewdly gleaming flesh was tantalizing the younger male's lust. Saku locked his knuckle joint and while thrusting straight forward, slowly started to push in and out.

"Ahh gahh..." Taira breathed erratically, with a desperate expression on his face. "Yu... Enough... ohh... gahh... ahh! Ha... gahh... haaa...!"

Saku frowned, not sure of the amount of pain he was putting the blond through. "Does it hurt?"

"Fuck... don't make... uhhh... me talk..." Taira panted. "just... harder... keep going... Please..."

Saku nodded, bending his fingers inside him, rubbing the fingertips against the inner wall. He teased Taira's insides with a motion that's difficult to put into words.

"Ghha...gahhhhhhhggghhhhh...!" Taira cried out, unrestrained. He grabbed for the sheets, wrinkling them up in his grip. "Guhhhhhhhhh...! Ehh...fuuuu...gahhhh...! More, god, just... there! So close!" His hole convulsed in concert with the messy movements, his insides throbbing. As Saku fondled with the insides with the belly of his fingers, amidst gooey softness, he found an out-of-place patch of firmness. He pressed up against that spot and rubbed. "Nnnnnnggg! Oh god, come! I'm gonna co—" In that moment, Saku pulled his fingers out. Taira whined at the loss and sudden emptiness, annoyed with his mate for backing out when it was just getting good, just when he was gonna go limp, with no warning whatsoever, an even larger organ thrusts inside him forcefully. "Uwaaa—AAAAAAAAAH!"

It was a scream that could probably be heard by anyone inside the house. Taira panted and moaned in pleasure, wanting more of the beta, no space between them. He managed to free his one leg and wrapped both of them around his partner. Saku grunted, embracing Taira as he thrusts in and out of him repeatedly in an impressive speed. Only the base was being gripped firmly, while the tip felt like it was being drawn into an amorphous liquid. The feeling was less distinct than with his fingers, but Saku could feel his pulse in the fleeting convulsions. He could no longer really pull in and out now, simply savoring the sensation of the hot flesh embracing him as his pole remained submerged in his mate's hole.

The frustration of not being able to move was oddly stimulating. Just the base being squeezed, it was agonizing for Saku. He desperately swayed his hips back and forth. The sound of Taira's voice as he endured with all his might gave Saku satisfaction.

"Ga... ughh...gahhhhh...! Nnnnggg! Mnnnn!"

"Uh ha haaa... ahh...! Ahh... gaah!"

"Ahhhahahhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

Not able to bear it any longer, Saku thrusts in deeper than ever before crying out loud in tandem with Taira, and at that second, they both ejaculated. The bed was covered in Taira's cum, while Saku's body shuddered, savoring the lengthy sensation of releasing into his lover.

"... Ah ah ahh... Yuji, you..." Taira panted grunting a bit when Saku fell on top of him in exhaustion. "inside me... haaa... so hot..."

"Yoshi... you felt so amazing... god, I love you..."

"I love you, too," Taira hugged him tightly, "Always."

"And I'm sorry... I totally forgot but... I didn't get to... wear a condom..."

"Eh?!"

Saku nuzzled the blond's chest, having no intention to move. His hips felt a bit cramped from the delirious exertion. He can only imagine how the blond was feeling and how he'll deal with it once the adrenaline and ecstasy dies down. But now, all he could do was close his eyes and rest.

"Yuji? Uh, Yuji? **Oi!** I don't mind you sleeping, but could you pull out first?!" Taira shook his mate, unable to move much himself. He got no response, "What the hell, you're younger than me! You're supposed to have more stamina, Yuji! YUJI!"

──────────────────────────────────────────────────

Meanwhile, across the hallway, Chiba was jerking off at the toilet, cursing to himself.

_Stupid... Lucky... Bonded mates... Damn fucking shit... should've just ate out tonight..._


	12. Omega Dilemma

 " _ **Woke from a dream with you on my Mind,**_

  _ **I knew right then it was you I had to Find.** _

_**Somewhere in the air, I hear a Melody** _

_**It's all I need to help me get to You.**_ "

Ryusuke didn't know what he enjoyed more, hearing Koyuki sing freely with no one trying to attack him or business bastards getting served. Well, that was a lie. Obviously, nothing can compete with anything Koyuki does. But he had to admit that he loved it when jerks get what's coming to them. While he played onstage, he could see an enraged Ran, being tailed by some media asking him some questions about a _Belle Ame_ and _Beck_ collaboration. Doing business in Japan for a while, the music industry knew that the producer wasn't into those type of cooperation projects.

Now that he was cool with Eiji, Ryusuke could see the appeal to their songs. It may just be because he was finally realizing what being in love feels like, but the message of their first Single definitely hit the point home for how he was feeling with Koyuki. And with how beautifully the omega sang the lyrics, genuinely and with feeling, too, Ryusuke had a feeling some _Beck_ songs will be inspired by _Belle Ame_ 's music style.

Ryusuke was mesmerized by the sound of Koyuki's singing. At first, he thought about how it was probably the _Note_ getting to him. But he was wearing the _ACho_ so that couldn't be it. For sure, Eddie had told them that it didn't mean the effect would disappear, but it wouldn't be as effective either. That's how Ryusuke knew for certain that what he felt for the young omega wasn't merely lust.

Watching Koyuki grow as a musician, which Ryusuke would allow himself to take some credit for, and seeing him become a more confident person than he had been when they first met gave the alpha a sense of pride, and he wanted nothing more but to see Koyuki further his growth and as a result, to help his own growth as well. It was then that the Alpha knew for sure that what he felt for the omega wasn't simply lust, and it may have been sudden and caused Eiji to suddenly miss a note, but he suddenly sang the next part which got Koyuki staring at Ryusuke with wide-eyes.

 " _ **It's the Song that I Hear**_

  _ **Every single time you're Near** _

  _ **It's the way that I feel when you're Here** _

_**With me.** _

_**And I hope and I Pray** _

_**That there'll never come a Day,** _

_**That the song that I hear will be through~**_ "

Ryusuke smiled softly at Koyuki and nodded at him. The younger boy returned the smile and nodded right back, both their eyes not leaving the other as they sang together.

 " _ **Because it's your Love**_

  _ **that nothing takes the place of,** _

  _ **I hear your Melody every time that you move** _

_**And if they'll Hide it,** _

_**I know just how to Find it** _

_**I'll find my way back to you~**_ "

Maybe in the past, Eiji would've been ticked off with how Ryusuke just changed their arrangement. But dating Manabu changed that. He become a little bit more sensitive when it come to feelings, and he understood that what Ryusuke felt for the kid singer wasn't too far away from how he feels for Manabu. He was lucky that he had the blond all for himself officially, and he was actually rooting for the two. Not that he'll ever admit that out loud.

When they finally ended the song, the crowd went mad, cheering wildly. Yoshito waved at them in thanks. " _Beck_ and _Belle Ame_ everyone! Yeah!" he yelled with a pumped fist. "Now We give you, Chiemi Kuniyoshi!"

The stage lights dimmed and the fog machine increased its emission, giving the boys the smokescreen effect to exit the stage, Chiemi came rushing out from where they were exiting, giving quick thanks and a special pat on Koyuki's shoulder before heading out the stage and having spotlights focused on her.

"Oh my god, did you see that?! I talked to Chiemi Kuniyoshi!"

"Uh, you barely breathed a word, never mind actually talking."

"Teehee, careful Yuchan, your fan boy is showing."

Ryusuke chuckled as the three interacted enjoying the scene and watching Koyuki getting worked up. Until he felt someone tapping his shoulder. He turned his head and saw Eiji giving him a smirk. Before he could ask what that was all about, the other alpha answered the question. "At first, I didn't get what was so special with the little guy even after _Greatful Sound_. Probably because I was still bitter. But now, seeing how whipped you are about him, it's obvious."

"Wait, what the hell are you talking about?" Ryusuke asked, flushing. "I'm not that obvious."

Eiji shook his head. "It wasn't that obvious, till you sang." He pointed out. "Remember how we went at it back then during _Serial Mama_ days? You wouldn't budge about singing no matter what I said about having other vocal ranges."

Ryusuke turned redder, and looked away. "Yeah, well, I figured your song needed the improvement anyway." he shot back. "Call it a favor."

"Har har, funny." Eiji jabbed him on the shoulder. "Seriously though. Go for it, man."

Ryusuke sighed. "Yeah, yeah, I'm on it." he said. "I'm definitely not going to wait till we're both gray in the hair."

"I already said I had a plan. I wasn't gonna wait that long."

"What's your plan, jump on him during his cycle and blame it on that, then pretending to accidentally confess?" Ryusuke mused lazily. Eiji widened his eyes in shock which caused the raven alpha to do the same. "Dude, seriously? That's stupid! God, I'm sorta glad Manabu did actually end up falling off the stage."

Eiji sputtered, flushing bright red. "How did you even guess accurately?"

"Todo said something similar when he mentioned you liking me till you found out I was an alpha, but I thought it was a joke! Wait... Oh my god, does that you mean you actually used to like me?!"

"Those were dark days for me man, don't bring it up again!"

Koyuki turned his head at the bickering of the two alphas. He frowned in concern. "Uh oh, are they fighting again?"

"I wouldn't worry." Manabu rolled his eyes. "alphas have the tendency to be real idiots. Let them be loud and noisy to get it out of their system."

Koyuki nodded slowly before turning his head back towards Ryusuke in concern. Manabu smiled before chuckling to himself, _So obvious..._

"Excuse me?" A man suddenly approached them. The two omegas and Yoshito turned to him while the other two alphas continued bickering. "Good evening, I'm Ikeda Kaito. Can I speak to your band leader?"

Yoshito blinked before gasping. "Are you the Ikeda Kaito? The music producer, now CEO, that launch Chiemi's career and five hundred others in Japan within a year?!" He knew Chiemi for a while back, but he never actually met the man that started her fame. She always said he was busy with others matters.

"So you heard of me, that makes this easier," Ikeda chuckled. "I take it you're in charge of this band, Morozumi-san?"

Yoshito shook his head. "Uh, no. And we're not just one band, I play... well, I used to sing back up for our band, _Belle Ame_ , till we figured I can do the keyboards better."

"Way better." Manabu inserted with a snicker.

Yoshito scowled at him. Before gesturing to Koyuki. "This guy is from another band, _Beck_. And, uh, our band leaders are..." he gestured with his thumb towards Ryusuke and Eiji. "Well... They're being alphas."

"Idiots."

"I said alphas."

"Same difference."

Ikeda blinked in mild surprise before smiling once more. "I guess that makes it more interesting." he said. "I have a proposition for you boys."

  **──────────────────────────────────────────────────**

 " **Itai, itai, itai**!"

Saku sighed, pulling the cotton swab back once more. Perhaps earlier, Taira's swollen, gaping hole would be arousing and sexy. But now, seeing the pain he was in, the Beta could feel nothing else but remorse. "I'm sorry I fell asleep and didn't get to pull out." he said apologetically. "I didn't think it'd hurt that much."

"Well, if you remembered, it didn't just hurt." Taira managed a laugh despite the pain of his backside. "but in retrospect, since I wasn't self-lubricated, maybe it was a bad idea to encourage you to go rough. I guess I got too excited since I was finally going to be fucked."

Saku suddenly dropped the ointment, tweezer tong and cotton swab. "Tha-that was your first time?"

"Uh, didn't I make that obvious?" Taira raised a brow. "sure I wasn't oppose to date hopping back then, but I'm not like Ryusuke who would sleep with just any random someone."

Saku suddenly got emotional and embraced Taira once more. The blond blinked in surprise. "I... I don't know what to say except... I'm so happy right now." he held him tighter. "Thank you for letting me be your first."

" **Baka** ," Taira chuckled, hugging the beta back. He sighed in content. "thank you for making the wait worth it. But... my hip's are killing me and my butt hole is not exactly in paradise either..."

Saku blushed and pulled back, retrieving the fallen ointment and cotton swab. Taira laid back down on his stomach. "S-sorry, I'll give you a massage after. Fortunately, my brother used to make me do that for him after he comes home from baseball practice." he started dabbing the cotton once more to the omega's slightly torn butt hole.

"You're the best, Yuji," Taira sighed in content. He was worried about that one issue about forgetting a condom, but he trusted that Saku, being a virgin himself, wouldn't have any sexual diseases. "What did I do to deserve you...?"

Suddenly, there was a knock to the door. "Hey Taira, you and Saku in there? I'm coming in or are you doing rated stuff?" It was Ryusuke.

"What do you want, man?" Taira groaned in complain, pulling the covers over his body. He nodded at Saku as a permission to let the alpha in.

Ryusuke came inside and immediately smelled a scent that indicated what just happened in here. But he wisely decided not to comment on it. "Just figured you might want to know that Koyuki is fine, innocence preserved and all... Oh, and I think I just got _Beck_ a chance on a real label."

Taira immediately got up and Saku had to rush to his side and make sure his lover was still covered. He may not be as possessive and territorial than an alpha mate could be, but he was still very much protective since they were bond mates. Taira scowled and tried not to wince at the pain of his backside as he glared at Ryusuke. "Am I suppose to guess which one is the joke in there? Where is Koyuki?"

"Woah, dude, man, if looks could kill... Never mind, I don't want to imagine it." Ryusuke shuddered as he held up his hands as if in surrender. "None of them are jokes, I swear. We sang as an Opening for Chiemi and well, how about we explain it over dinner? If you haven't had any yet."

Taira and Saku blinked when they heard Chiba scream outside.

"What the fuck Koyuki, why are these fuckers here?!"

"Chiba!"

"Wow, you guys really did family bond..."

Taira widened his eyes as he recognized that voice. "No way..."

"Hello! Pardon the intrusion," Manabu stuck his head in. "C'mon out and let the celebration begi—oooooh, I'm sorry, did rated stuff happen here?"

The blond omega turned to Ryusuke, raising a brow. " _Belle Ame_? Seriously?"

"Heh, yeah." Ryusuke rubbed the back of his head. "Now how about we go to dinner and I'll explain everything?"

  **──────────────────────────────────────────────────**

 _Beck_ and _Belle Ame_ had a celebratory dinner for two reasons. The first one was to congratulate _Belle Ame_ for being released from their contract with Ran. Eiji was already trying to figure out what new name to take on, but for the mean time, they still stuck with that name. The second reason was to celebrate that they immediately got a label offer right after as well as _Beck_ getting their first official offer. Taira was glad that Ryusuke mentioned not signing any official documents yet and it won't be till tomorrow. If anything, he wanted to be involved in the signing to make sure Ryusuke doesn't screw up the royalties once again. Chiba was suspicious of this sudden friendliness towards Eiji and Ryusuke, but when Manabu mentioned a mixer that he no longer wanted to attend and asked if Chiba could take his place, Chiba immediately warmed up to them.

"What's a mixer?" Koyuki turned to Saku.

Saku chuckled, not that surprise that his best friend had no idea about it. "It's like a group date, but usually with strangers with usually only two people knowing each other. Like, a friends of friends meeting up." he explained. "Usually, girls from all-girl schools and guys in all-guys school have them so they can play matchmaking under the excuse that they ' _just want to meet more people to be friends with_ '"

"Why do you know what a mixer is?" Taira asked, eyes narrowed. "Did you go to one before with Hiromi-san?"

Koyuki blinked at the familiar name. "You met Hiromi-chan, Taira?"

"Uh, no, it's not what it sounds like Yoshi, I..." Saku blushed, also rather taken aback by Taira's jealousy. "I..." He sighed, "I read a lot of the _Shoujo Mangas_ in Ryusuke's place before. I was studying how to... uh... romance you..."

Taira's cheeks reddened, and he figured he was stupid once again for being jealous.

"How sweet." Manabu giggled. "I wish Eichan was more thoughtful."

Eiji sighed. "Hey, hey, I'm doing my best. I'm just..."

"Awkward?"

"Sometimes I wonder if you really like me."

They had a good laugh on Eiji's expense. Ryusuke observed the set up, never imagining that this would actually happen. He never really used to care about other people unless it affected his music playing. It's amazing what time could do. There was a big possibility that they would be working close with Eiji's band for a while, and while he wondered how that would be good for their individuality, he found that he didn't mind. He remembered why he first agreed to join Eiji's band, _Serial Mama_ , once before. He knew he and Eiji had the same love for music, it's just their beliefs on how to get there that clashed. Eiji's style wasn't all that different from his till Ran got into the picture. Now he was glad to say that the red head had the chance to evolve on his own the same way he was able to.

Again, this got Ryusuke to look towards Koyuki longingly that he actually considered doing Eiji's original plan. But thought better of it, figuring that Taira would probably kill him right after.

  **──────────────────────────────────────────────────**

"Ryusuke?"

The aforementioned alpha turned around to see Koyuki approaching him. Taira and the others were sending _Belle Ame_ off and he was gonna go on and ahead to bed. It was a pretty tiring day, after all, filled with surprises.

"Oh hey, Koyuki. What's up?"

Koyuki was playing with the hem of his shirt before finally speaking. "Uh, I just... I wanted to thank you for today. I, uh, really had a good time in our date." he smiled coyly.

"Oh, yeah, me too." Ryusuke rubbed the back of his head, bashful all of the sudden. "It didn't exactly end the way I wanted to" _which was kissing you again and being intentional about it_ , the alpha decided not to add. "but I guess it was still pretty good..."

Koyuki bit his lip before taking a breath, gathering some courage to say what he wanted.

"Eh? Koyuki, you okay? You look like you're about to puke."

The omega suddenly blurted out, "Next time, let's do what you like!"

"Ehhh?"

The younger male continued, looking anywhere but at Ryusuke, "I... I mean... I... If you want to, anyway... I just thought about today and how most of it was about what I wanted. Like the stir-fry, bowling... And Chiemi! Oh my god, thank you for that! I'll make it up to you next time, so that it's not one-sided." Koyuki tried to look up to the older male. "Okay?"

"Next time, huh..." Ryusuke really couldn't help but smile at that, and he vowed he'll get that kiss on the next one. "Okay Koyuki, I'll take you up on that."

Koyuki practically beamed at him. "Great!"

"Just to be clear, though," Ryusuke added suddenly. "I had a great time with you, too. I don't really mind that we didn't do stuff I usually go for, which would just be band stuff by the way. It was refreshing. So you don't have to worry about it being one-sided. Isn't that what a date is all about, anyway? Enjoying random pointless stuff that aren't so random and pointless to the person you like?"

Koyuki turned bright red but tried not to overthink it. Because of course Ryusuke liked him, or they wouldn't be friends anyway, "R-right, so uh, I guess I'll see you tomorrow. Uh, good night, Ryusuke."

"Good night Koyuki, sleep well."

  **──────────────────────────────────────────────────**

Due to his busyness, the bands were only able to meet up with Ikeda after two weeks. After offering them tea, he directly went to the point and gave the band leaders a label offer. At first, he thought it would just be one of his regular label offers but after finding out that Ryusuke had other band members his plan changed. He didn't realize that _Beck_ and _America's Beck Mongolian Chop Squad_ were one and the same.

"A Band Alliance arrangement?" Eiji raised a brow. "I never heard of something like that."

Ikeda chuckled. "I'm not surprise, it's something I came up with myself, being some sort of a visionary." he showed them two copies of the contract, one for Eiji to sign and the other for Ryusuke. "I can give you until tomorrow to decide, but just so you have an idea what it is, think of it this way. Your individuality will still be reflected in Album or Single releases, with a one song in each Album releases to be a collaboration. And both your Albums will be released on the same dates, the reason being to spark a little friendly rivalry."

Chiba raised a brow but chose his words carefully before he spoke, since Taira advised him to... Well, mostly threatened not to say a word at all unless it was on a polite note, since they were gonna have a meeting with a big shot CEO. The alpha never cared for social courtesy, but he cared not to incur Taira's wrath ever since the family bonding. "How can it be a friendly rivalry? I mean, isn't it bad if one band's sales beats the other badly?"

Taira seemed to approve of how he was considerate enough not to specify.

"No, in this contract, the sales would be considered as one as if your two bands were just that. One band. That's why the Album always has to have at least one Single of the others' in it. Opposite of Ran-san's thinking, I want to promote the idea that bands working together would be more profitable." Ikeda told them. "Times are changing, the world can get crueler and much more greedy. But I want to kill the stereotype that all businessmen are just after making more money with no vision. Since you boys have history together, I figured this would be a great time to start what I've always wanted to begin in this contract."

"So... We're like the pioneer of this type of set up?" Taira asked, intrigued. It was risky since it wasn't tried and tested but he was interested.

Ikeda nodded, smiling. "Yes, provided you boys are up for it." he said. "Of course both bands have to be in mutual agreement towards the contract, or it wouldn't be an Alliance at all since it's not unanimous. I won't force you, and if you want a regular label offer, I wouldn't mind giving it. But if you do take it," He smirked. "since this is what I've always wanted to start, plans and preparation for a Japan Tour with both your bands will immediately be underway. I actually already have it ready, with just a few polishing needed."

"Okay, I don't even need to think about it anymore." Ryusuke got his pen out and was ready to sign, before freezing at Taira's glare. "Uh, except... we... do have share of Royalties in here, right?"

Ikeda chuckled, before pointing to the section of their percentage of share in the profits and sales. "It will increase when certain conditions are met, but I believe this percentage is a good basic start." he said.

At Taira's approval, Ryusuke signed the contract. After which, everyone turned towards Eiji. The red head flushed. "Don't put me on the spot, I'm gonna sign too. Just, uh, waiting for Ryusuke to finish first since I don't have a pen of my own." he said.

Manabu gasped. "Really Eichan! It's a contract signing, you're suppose to bring a pen!"

"I thought I had one in my pocket!"

Ikeda laughed at their antics, feeling a little nostalgic. These boys are gonna be my best project yet... He thought. The man took the contracts and looked over them, checking if they missed any lines. "All right, I'm gonna contact the other board members. We'll have another meeting this afternoon to discuss the tour plans, legal documents and medical clearances. If everything goes accordingly, rehearsals starts tomorrow and we'll start the tour next month."

"That fast?" Saku widened his eyes. "Uh, I'm not really sure how this works, won't we need more time for promotion to spread the word out?"

Yoshito chuckled, shaking his head. "Come on, really? This is Ikeda Kaito, word will get around. Plus, Manabu and I are involved and we were already celebrities before. Plus there's Koyuki who's been talked about since that movie." he pointed out.

"No one really knew it was me though... I don't think my name was really acknowledged since all I saw was _random Japanese fan_ when the credits rolled." Koyuki flushed.

Ryusuke patted his back. "After _Greatful Sound_ and the American tour, they know now. I think Yoshito's right, besides, there's no time better than the present." he said.

"Well said. Now if you'll excuse me, I have matters to attend to. Please come back later at five in the afternoon." Ikeda nodded, organizing the contracts to their folder and giving it to his secretary. "Ichinose-san, please escort the boys out and contact the board."

  **──────────────────────────────────────────────────**

Needless day, the boys decided to have an impromptu celebratory lunch this time in an outside **Ramen** stall and everyone was pretty pumped up, even the usually cool and laid-back Taira who ate a lot. Saku never realized his mate could eat a lot when he was excited, and he found it adorable. The omegas got along well and Taira was pleased with Manabu's positive appraisal of his mate and that his own alpha mate could learn a thing or two from him about being thoughtful. Koyuki was happy to get to know Manabu better since he was the only other Omega he knew that was in the same boat as him in regards to the note. Plus, the other blond gave good pointers for singing and vocal exercising techniques. Eiji was trying to come up with a new name for his band now since he was finally free from Ran and the others helped, ranging from stupid names that Chiba suggested to actual decent ones from Yoshito, Ryusuke and Saku.

At one point, some alphas rudely interrupted them after hearing Koyuki laugh at a particularly funny story Ryusuke shared, most probably mixed with the note. And with three omegas all in one table, it wasn't unexpected that alphas would be attracted and come over. They attempted hitting on them, especially Koyuki since he was the only one that smelled unmated. All the alphas in the table growled simultaneously, even Chiba despite not having a mate in any of them. The intruders didn't back down easily though.

Surprisingly enough, it was Saku who got them to back off, finally shoving at one of them when that alpha gripped on Taira's wrist roughly to move him out of the way and get easier access to Koyuki. Ryusuke didn't know what surprised him more, a beta getting to faze a pack of alphas enough to take a hike or the fact that Taira looked a little shaken up. It usually took a lot to get to Taira, after all. Manabu and Koyuki had both whimpered and tried to scent their fellow omega in an effort to comfort him while Saku was still making sure the alphas weren't returning and apologizing to the **Ramen** stall vendor for causing a scene. When he came back, Taira immediately clung to him.

"Did it hurt that much?" Saku frowned, taking the blond's wrist and massaging it a bit. "Ah, please don't cry, Yoshi..." he brushed the tears off.

Taira shook his head, leaning more into his mate's chest. He was confused as well. It really didn't seem to hurt that much, but for some reason, the assault had shocked him and he couldn't take it. He didn't even expect to cry over it. He didn't even cry the night he last saw Fumi.

"Uhh, Ichinose-san emailed us to return in an hour." Eiji brought up, confused himself. He never pinned Taira to be the sensitive type. Maybe it was an omega blond thing. Manabu gets like that a lot after all. Then again, as far as he knew, Taira was a bleached blond. "If you want to sit out the meeting..."

Taira attempted to regain his composure. "No, I'm fine. I was just a little surprised." he got out his wallet. "Come on, let's pay for the **Ramen** and head out."

Everyone shared looks but didn't object, paying for their own meal.

Upon their return, they were given some more papers to fill out and a schedule for a short orientation to company policies and agreements. They checked their schedule and saw that if everything went accordingly, they'll be having their tour by next month.

All they had to do was make sure they had no health problems, since the Omega Note didn't really count as a medical illness. Then Beck will be having their second tour, in Japan this time. Having in with Eiji's band wasn't a bad plus either, now that Ryusuke and the red head had settled their differences. And if they do real well in this tour, they'll finally get an official label.

"So soon?" Eiji asked, concerned. "I mean, won't we need more time to rehearse?"

Ikeda smiled mischievously. Everyone in the room blinked, not expecting to see such an expression from what they assumed to be a formal businessman. "Yes, well, even the other board members are rather averse to the proposal, but I am rather famous for these ideas. Most of my best breakout artists are able to put up with my ambitious requests." He smirked. "How about it boys, are you going to be one of my bests?"

All the boys in the room, alphas, omegas and beta alike shared a look and smirked, looking head on towards Ikeda and nodded boldly.

"YES!"

  **──────────────────────────────────────────────────**

To say that the road to success is a difficult one was an understatement. If _Beck_ and _Recall_ , the new band name Eiji finally decided on, weren't busy doing rehearsals they had their other company requirements to go through like their medical certificates and clearances, among other things. Additional to that, Koyuki and Manabu had vocal lessons from a trainer in _America_ that specializes handling _Omega Notes_ so they can control the pitch better. Since they got too busy to try and return to get their clinic results, the company arranged something for the results to be forwarded. It was actually all they could do to take care of their own personal lives.

 _Beck_ had it easier, since they live together and all. _Recall_ still had their families and other related commitments to think of when they had the time. Still with how they got tired because of all the things they have to take care of, Taira and Ryusuke started devising chore schedules. Like who's turn would it be to wash the dishes, cook meals, take out the trash, walk the dogs, and other stuff. Taira had easy recipes pinned on the refrigerator for the others to follow. Legitimately, it was mostly him and Koyuki who knew their way in the kitchen. But figuring the others had to learn if ever emergencies arises, they decided to take turns. Although after Taira rushed to the bathroom to vomit three times in one night after a dinner Chiba tried to make, Saku finally volunteered to be a taste tester before feeding his mate anything. Chiba kept protesting that he followed the recipe, but he protests a lot so it was hard to assure its validity.

Ryusuke and Eiji usually wrote songs together, but specially for their own bands. They just hang out a lot to give each other inputs, especially the Singles that may be included in their respective albums. They consulted the rest of their band mates periodically as well. Of course other songwriters were giving them their suggested pieces but as per contract, they had the final say and even permission to edit the ones suggested to them with discretion and respect to the original song writer.

Eventually, Ikeda decided to give them a test run concert. Nothing really big. He didn't even alert the media to get instant publicity. But it wasn't a private one either.

"Just think of it as a Live House, I'm sure you boys are familiar with it." Ikeda told them. "Anyone who happens to see the flyers and buys the ticket can see. Since it's a test run, you'll be the ones taking care of most of the preparations. Since no other staff is onset, the ticket price is cheap. Anyway the objective is to see how much word can get out afterwards. I want to see if _Beck_ and _Recall_ can harmonize well, so this goes without saying but" He smiled encouragingly at them. "Knock them dead."

They all nodded. "Yes!"

"Very good," Ikeda nodded in acknowledgment before checking his phone. "Okay, I have other matters to attend to so I'll be returning to the company. I'll try dropping by towards the end of the concert."

They all got to work, getting their equipment ready and finalizing the flow of their show. Saku and Yoshito went for a food run to the nearest restaurant to get everyone some after-rehearsals meal. Ryusuke tuned up the guitars while Eiji watched over the omegas going through their vocal exercises for their _Omega Note_. Chiba listened in as the basis, if he didn't want to pounce either of them then that meant they were doing it right. Of course his self-control had it easier when they had their vocal exercises while wearing their ACho. That's why Eiji stuck around as bodyguard, since he was mated to one of the omegas, it didn't effect him as much. Manabu had to keep kicking Eiji whenever he tried to ravish him though, but that was alpha boyfriend instincts instead of sole alpha instincts anyway. Koyuki looked away, flustered. Chiba wolf whistled.

"Eichan, damn it! We're in front of Yucchan and Chichan! Have some decorum!"

"Chichan?! What the hell, I ain't no damn chick!"

"Fine, one kiss then."

"You and I both know you can't stop at one!"

"Shut up you guys and take it seriously!" Taira hollered from the other end of the room with Ryusuke. "We'll be going on a break once Yuji and Yoshito get back with the food, so keep it in your pants till then."

Ryusuke snickered. "And I thought I was the uptight one as far as band preparations are concerned."

"You are, you're just too busy drooling over Koyuki's voice to notice so someone's gotta be the voice of reason." Taira snapped back. Ryusuke scowled but before he could complain, Yoshito's voice rang in announcing their return making the blond turning his head fast and sought out his mate. "Yuji, finally!"

Saku chuckled as Taira came running towards him.

"So much for being the voice of reason." Ryusuke snorted, shaking his head at an omega's mood swings.

After the quick meal break, they all started to get ready and the concert goers started coming in. Everything was going smoothly as far as preparations were concerned. They went backstage to have one last final run with the equipment. But all of the sudden, Taira broke down to his knees and started coughing.

"Yoshi?!" Saku panicked, rushing over. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked over. "Yoshi, hey, what's wrong?"

Taira groaned, he felt the horrible after taste of the pasta meal he had earlier. He retched and cough before finally vomiting on Saku's shoes. The beta flinched, but he wasn't faze by the disgusting mess. Worry for his mate won over. He carried Taira in his arms, which looked awkward given the fact that the blond was not only older, but slightly taller.

"I think you need to rest for a bit. Ryusuke, can we change the line up and have Recall go in first?"

"No," Ryusuke sighed. Saku looked incredulous and was about to protest. "I think we need to have him checked in the nearest hospital."

Everyone now stared at Ryusuke incredulously. "HUUUUUH?!"

"Are you serious, Ryusuke? No." Taira coughed. Saku frowned in disapproval. "Oh stop it, Yuji, I'm fine, it was just a bad pasta meal."

Ryusuke narrowed his eyes. "Look, _Recall_ can stay here and hold the fort. But I saw you vomiting earlier this morning as well, let's face it. We can't keep blaming it on Chiba's bad cooking." he snapped.

"Seriously, we're back to that again?"

Eiji groaned, mussing his hair. "Uh, hello, this is a Band Alliance test run, remember?" he interjected. "we can't go on the show without _Beck_ ready to jump in right after."

"Well, excuse me, but he is my band member not to mention the Maternal Head of my pack, so I'll..."

Eiji continued. "Give me a moment to make a few calls?" he raised a brow. "Dude, when are you getting it that we're on the same side now? I'll get some people I know to try and cover for us till we confirm Taira's fine."

"I already texted Maho," Yoshito got off his phone. "She's was heading over anyway, and she's okay with filling in for now."

Ryusuke blinked before looking a little chagrined. "Why did we used to hate each other again?"

"Dude, it involves you. You'll always find a way to get someone hating you," Eiji deadpanned before glancing towards Koyuki. "Well, almost always, I guess."

Koyuki blinked in confusion at the glance. Taira sighed, resigning to the fact that these guys are going to do what they want no matter what he said. Saku looked at him imploringly and that pretty got him to stop making a fuss. Besides, the sooner they got him checked out and the right medicine down in his system, the sooner the show can start.

  **──────────────────────────────────────────────────**

Or so Taira thought. In turns out random walk-Ins to a hospital didn't get immediate attention unless it was an ER case. Plus, they didn't have an appointment and with it being probably just the stomach flu, they weren't given priority. They actually had to wait a long while, and by the time they got attention to go through the basic check ups, the Agency called them saying the concert was cancelled

All in all, Taira thought it was a bad night for the band, him especially since his stomach didn't even feel so bad anymore and it might have been a fluke all this time. He groaned.

"Do you need some water?" Saku frowned, rubbing the back of his mate. "I'm getting you water." he immediately left.

Taira tried to reach out to pull him back. Not that he objected, he could definitely use a drink. His mouth still tasted disgusting from the vomit. But he really didn't want to be away from Saku right now for some reasons. It was past midnight, he should be back home already cuddling with his lover.

"Ugh, sorry guys," The omega looked at his band mates. "I totally screwed our chances on this tour deal."

Ryusuke shook his head, for once, the band's future being the least of his concerns. "Hey, it isn't the tour yet anyway."

Chiba nodded in agreement, and anything those two agree on must be right. "You just think about getting better." he said.

"Yeaaah, from what, though?" Eiji mused before being nudged by his mate. "Ow, hey babe..."

Manabu scowled at him. "Be a bit more empathetic, Eichan." he scolded. "Don't worry Taichan, it wasn't like it happened onstage so it wasn't like you did it in front of the crowd."

"Yeah," Yoshito crossed his arms. "But if there is a health issue, then _Beck_ may not be able to join us further in this tour."

Manabu grumbled in exasperation. "Honestly!" he shook his head. "why are all alphas downers?"

"Ah, I think the d—Oh, it's Ikeda-san." Koyuki winced, seeing the music producer coming along with the Doctor. Taira was about to stand and apologize, but seeing that the blond was still looking a little dizzy, he made sure he sat back down. "careful Taira..."

Ryusuke picked up on the cue instead, standing on his behalf. "Ikeda...san," he added quickly, remembering honorifics for once. "we're sorry for the incident and that you had to cancel the performance."

"Well, I must admit, I didn't like having to give out refunds, but I do prioritize the health of my artists, current or future ones. We'll just have to reschedule the test run. Well, provided it'd still be a possibility."

"Why wouldn't it be?"

The man sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Well, there seems to be a problem, one of your clinical results seemed to have been missing one vital data. It seemed to have been misplaced." Ikeda frowned, looking at the only people gathered in the hospital waiting lounge. "Taira Yoshiyuki, apparently, you have been expecting?"

Taira suddenly froze, sitting upright and pointing to himself. "I-I'm pregnant?!"

"You didn't know?" Ikeda blinked.

Taira shook his head. "That can't be right!"

"According to the urine sample you gave us, it can." The Doctor spoke gently, indicating the papers. "according to the findings, you've been expecting for over a month now. We doubled check to ascertain that it wasn't mistaken to be a tumor or anything, and the results were consistent." She smiled considerately. "Congratulations Taira-san, you're going to be a mother."

Everyone in the room was shell-shocked, Manabu looked a little envious but mostly concerned. They all looked at the aforementioned omega.

"Shit, so all this vomiting was actually morning sickness? I told you I wasn't that bad of a cook!"

"Shut it Chiba, now's not the time. Quiet down."

Taira continued to stare blankly, apparently the information hasn't really sunk in yet. They all rushed in here because of what they thought was a common stomach flu and instead, the blond finds out he is carrying his and Saku's child... He widened his eyes at the realization and his eyes immediately sought out his mate. When he turned his head to check if he was back, he found his face suddenly pressed against fabric and he caught the familiar scent of his mate. He whimpered and his arms immediately wrapped around the younger male.

"I'm sorry, Yoshi, I'm so sorry for doing this to you..."

" **Baka, baka, baka**!" Taira just hugged him tighter. "What the hell are you sorry for?!"

The Doctor seemed a bit taken aback, the mother of this child to be seemed young enough already. But if this was the father, he was even younger. She felt the need to help these two to the best of her abilities, but the legal concerns were going to be a bigger issue.

"Excuse me, um..." Ikeda approached the Doctor.

She turned to him. "Edogawa." she supplied with a smile.

"Thank you. Edogawa-san, is this for certain?"

Edogawa nodded. "Yes, I would like to ask some questions but seeing as it is too late for that, we can have it tomorrow morning. For now, I'd like Taira-san to stay overnight for monitoring." she looked at the blond. "Will that be all right? You don't have to worry about the pay. It's on me." Seeing their surprised expressions, she quickly explained. "My daughter got pregnant in an even younger age, too. Unfortunately, her body wasn't able to handle it so it got miscarried. She's okay now and has a family of her own, but I never want anyone to have to go through that."

"Oh..." Taira nodded then looked a little bashful. "Um... Can he stay with me?" he held on to Saku's hand.

The beta felt a rush of fond affection for the omega.

Edogawa chuckled. "I suspect he's the father then." she nodded. "well, I'm sure something can be arranged. But for the rest of you, this is good night."

Taira was a little guilty that he was allowing Koyuki to be left tonight with two alphas, but they didn't form a Family pack for nothing. He did embrace the boy before left, and sent a warning glare at Ryusuke's way. The alpha rolled his eyes but made a ' _cross-my-heart_ ' gesture.

Taira got confined in one of the rooms that can be shared by more than one patient, but as of now, he was the only patient. Edogawa allowed Saku to take one of the vacant beds just that once but when she left, he settled beside Taira instead. The blond nuzzled his mate's chest.

Both still couldn't believe that this was actually happening.

"I'm scared, Yuji." Taira confided, which was rare since the omega rarely ever displayed fragility, and even then it was never willingly. "One in a million... our chances were a one in a million, but we got it at one."

Saku frowned, running his fingers through the blond locks in an effort to soothe his mate. "Yeah, I... I really should've worn a condom, huh?" he laughed dryly, to which Taira just snorted. "But it will be okay, won't it? I'm here, I'll always be here, whatever you decide..."

"Whatever I decide?" Taira pulled back to look at the Beta. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Saku blinked in shock, suddenly confused. "Uhh, I mean... the baby. I know for sure you won't abort it or anything, but if..." he swallowed. "if you want to give it up for adoption, I—" He trailed off to the sound of a smack and at the sting of his throbbing cheek. "Yo-Yoshi!"

"Don't you ' _Yoshi'_ me!" Taira growled, grabbing the front of his mate's shirt. "how dare you even suggest that! This is my baby I'm carrying, no... It's our baby you fucking idiot!"

Saku took the omega's hands and spoke gently. "Calm down Yoshi, that's not gonna be good for the baby. And... I'm sorry, it's just with _Beck_ so close in having a label, I thought..."

"Exactly, you're always thoughtful." The blond poked the younger male's nose. "you're always thinking of me, considering me, compromising. But I know you want this, you told me as much on the night we first did it. And I want to give it to you," Taira held Saku's face between his hands. "And I want this, too. You shouldn't hold back what you want just in consideration to me. I mean, our kid Yuji... truly a One in a million. We might not have another chance like this again."

Saku held his lover's one hand, before bringing it to his lips. He gave the Older male a bright smile. "S-so," he started. "we'll be keeping him?"

"I think it's too early to tell if the baby really is a him but either way, yeah, we are." Taira caressed the part he slapped gently in apology. "Whatever happens, we got each other. And we have _Beck_ backing us up, do you really think this would be a problem?"

Saku shrugged. "That depends, how is Chiba with babysitting?" The two widened their eyes before shuddering at the thought. "On second thought... We're never leaving our child alone with Chiba."

"Agreed. At least, not until he's old enough to babysit Chiba himself."

Saku went on embracing his lover tightly. He laid him back down, Taira pulled the blankets over both of them before making himself comfortable, rejecting the pillow in favor of the beta's chest. "Thank you, Yoshi. I promise," Saku kissed the top of his omega's head. "I'll take care of both of you."

" **Baka** " The Omega managed to say through a yawn. "we'll take care of each other."

Saku chuckled at his lover's obstinate independence, already foreseeing that he'll have trouble getting him to rest properly. But he would deal with that when it comes. He'll deal with the world and more, if it means that he could keep this happiness forever.

**A/N: This is the information I simplified.**

**Conception is the instant that the sperm fertilizes the egg. So technically, it is a one second event. Sperm can live in the female body for up to 5 days after intercourse. When you ovulate, there is a 12-24 hour window for the egg to be fertilized. It gets fertilized in the upper 3rd of the fallopian tube. It then takes an additional 1-4 days to travel down into the uterus and 1-3 more days to implant. So from the moment you ovulate, it could take about one or two weeks for the egg to be fertilized and stick. Take a test two or three weeks after you had sex and you'll get your answer.**

**So I was searching up the romanji for "One in a million" and played around with it and the kanji and tried to see what the "one" there stands for. So the name of the baby could be either be:**

**Tsumo Sakurai or Niichino Sakurai or Yuiitsu Sakurai or Yunitsuko Sakurai**

**Nicknames: Tsu or Niichi or Yuii or Nitsu**

**つも**

**Tsumo - One**

**に一の**

**Ni ichi no - One**

**唯一**

**Yuiitsu - Only one**

**ユニーつ児**

**Yunītsu ko - Unique child**

**Okay, I'm gonna use this as a guide to Taira and Saku's pregnancy journey:**

** First trimester (week 1–week 12) **

**During the first trimester your body undergoes many changes. Hormonal changes affect almost every organ system in your body. These changes can trigger symptoms even in the very first weeks of pregnancy. Your period stopping is a clear sign that you are pregnant. Other changes may include:**

**Extreme tiredness**

**Tender, swollen breasts.**

**Your nipples might also stick out.**

**Upset stomach with or without throwing up (morning sickness)**

**Cravings or distaste for certain foods**

**Mood swings**

**Constipation (trouble having bowel movements)**

**Need to pass urine more often**

**Headache**

**Heartburn**

**Weight gain or loss**

**As your body changes, you might need to make changes to your daily routine, such as going to bed earlier or eating frequent, small meals. Fortunately, most of these discomforts will go away as your pregnancy progresses. And some women might not feel any discomfort at all! If you have been pregnant before, you might feel differently this time around. Just as each woman is different, so is each pregnancy.**

** Second trimester (week 13–week 28) **

**Most women find the second trimester of pregnancy easier than the first. But it is just as important to stay informed about your pregnancy during these months.**

**You might notice that symptoms like nausea and fatigue are going away. But other new, more noticeable changes to your body are now happening. Your abdomen will expand as the baby continues to grow. And before this trimester is over, you will feel your baby beginning to move!**

**As your body changes to make room for your growing baby, you may have:**

**Body aches, such as back, abdomen, groin, or thigh pain**

**Stretch marks on your abdomen, breasts, thighs, or buttocks**

**Darkening of the skin around your nipples**

**A line on the skin running from belly button to pubic hairline**

**Patches of darker skin, usually over the cheeks, forehead, nose, or upper lip.**

**Patches often match on both sides of the face. This is sometimes called the mask of pregnancy.**

**Numb or tingling hands, called carpal tunnel syndrome**

**Itching on the abdomen, palms, and soles of the feet. (Call your doctor if you have nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, jaundice or fatigue combined with itching. These can be signs of a serious liver problem.)**

**Swelling of the ankles, fingers, and face. (If you notice any sudden or extreme swelling or if you gain a lot of weight really quickly, call your doctor right away. This could be a sign of preeclampsia.)**

** Third trimester (week 29–week 40) **

**You're in the home stretch! Some of the same discomforts you had in your second trimester will continue. Plus, many women find breathing difficult and notice they have to go to the bathroom even more often. This is because the baby is getting bigger and it is putting more pressure on your organs. Don't worry, your baby is fine and these problems will lessen once you give birth.**

**Some new body changes you might notice in the third trimester include:**

**Shortness of breath Heartburn Swelling of the ankles, fingers, and face. (If you notice any sudden or extreme swelling or if you gain a lot of weight really quickly, call your doctor right away. This could be a sign of preeclampsia.)**

**Hemorrhoids Tender breasts, which may leak a watery pre-milk called colostrum (kuh-LOSS-struhm)**

**Your belly button may stick out**

**Trouble sleeping**

**The baby "dropping", or moving lower in your abdomen Contractions, which can be a sign of real or false labor**

**As you near your due date, your cervix becomes thinner and softer (called effacing). This is a normal, natural process that helps the birth canal (vagina) to open during the birthing process. Your doctor will check your progress with a vaginal exam as you near your due date. Get excited — the final countdown has begun!**


	13. Omega Struggles

The following day, Taira and Saku stayed in the hospital, their check out would be at noon after they've had a talk with Edogawa. As much as _Beck_ and _Recall_ wanted to come along for moral support, the group had to proceed to **Densetsu** Records for a meeting with Ikeda and the board. Or rather, since the bands weren't officially launch to the public and have yet to make a debut, the meeting mostly consisted of the Board and Ikeda, with Ikeda passing the discussion later.

"Basically, since they were already skeptical to it in the first place, they think it's obvious more than ever to forget about the project. The only reason they humored me was due to my position and contributions to the Label." Ikeda said after Ichinose poured the boys some tea. "Still if there's a way around it, I'll find it. Provided you boys are willing to go the extra mile."

 _Beck_ and _Recall_ shared looks. Of course they still wanted to make this work. But it doesn't change the fact that there will be complications if Taira kept playing, especially for a long-term tour. While all members of Beck were important and the band wouldn't exist without either of them, that was especially the case for Taira and Saku. The fact that they are the sole bassist and sole drummer of _Beck_ made them even more vital.

Ryusuke spoke up behalf of _Beck_. "It's obvious that _Recall_ can push through with the tour, but it will be difficult for us." he started. "Sure, we could play on without Taira since he's technically the only one who needs the Maternal leave. But we won't. Something as big as this, we got to start it together."

"It's not like we'd be able to pry Saku away from him, either. I mean, come on, he's the fucking daddy." Chiba sighed, crossing his arms as he leaned back on his chair. "Not that we want to, anyway. Did you see him bark at those alphas the other day? I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end."

Koyuki nodded. "Yeah, I have to agree with that." He said, looking apologetic. "Sorry if this will hinder _Recall_ as well."

"Let's not be too hasty without considering all options." Ikeda told them. "Of course I won't force Taira to go through with the concert if he's unable. But if he's willing and we get a Doctor's approval, well, the best we can do is to also shorten the tour so by the time he starts showing, it would be over. For his sake as well, he'll need a regular income to fund his pregnancy check ups and needs. I know that whenever the band was short of funds, he'd work labor jobs like construction work as a living. But he obviously can't do that now."

Ryusuke frowned, sharing looks with Koyuki and Chiba. Ikeda had a point. If they just used Koyuki's insurance, which Taira would reject anyway, then it would be used up. Never mind hospital bills, once the baby was born, the everyday necessities would be expensive. Plus if Taira and Saku planned on schooling the kid... Enough said. The cheaper option would be for them to give the baby up for adoption since both Saku and Taira are too young to raise a child but that's out of the question. With how rare it is for a beta and omega to conceive, the two aren't foolish to let it go.

"Okay, we'll have to confirm with the other two, but knowing Taira he's probably going to be up for it." Ryusuke had to eye-roll. "Reliable bastard."

Koyuki and Chiba had to smile, all too aware of Taira's obstinate independence.

"You'll have our support, too." Manabu spoke up "plus, Eichan could babysit "

Eiji gawked. He woukdn't mind giving his support but the other offer was a bit much for him.

"Oh shut up Eichan. Kids are scared of you. You need the practice for when we get ours."

Eiji turned beet red. "Woah, woah, woah! Taira's own kid isn't even out yet, and you're already thinking of that for us?!"

"Agh! Why am I the only one always thinking of our future, Eichan **baka**!" Manabu stormed out.

Eiji went after him. "Wait! Manabu, come on I didn't mean..."

"I better go help mediate them." Yoshito sighed, going after his band members. "Things I put up with it..."

The three boys left in the room and Ikeda watched the scene with weary looks. Ikeda sighed, "I sincerely hope they're not planning to have one of their own too soon." He said. "Going back to the matter, I'll need to reconvene with the board to tell them the tour may still push through. But before that, well, you'll need to do something to help me convince them first that this risk is the right course."

"How do we do that?" Ryusuke asked.

Ikeda smiled at them. "By showing them your band is worth the risk."

**──────────────────────────────────────────────────**

As for Saku and Taira's own meeting, it was something like an interview of sorts. Edogawa started off by having them fill out some parental forms. She also informed them that if it was all right with them then she could be their personal OB/GYN doctor. The couple had no troubles with that. The woman just offered to pay for their room stay and monitoring, after all. And she seemed very nice and accommodating. She gave them her contact number and Hospital clinic schedule, advising them to contact her anytime they encounter problems.

"Problems?" Taira frowned, pulling away from Saku a bit. "N-now, Is... Is there something wrong with the baby?"

Edogawa smiled softly, satisfied that as far as affection was concerned, there would be no problem between the mother and the unborn child. "No, despite you having not known that you were actually carrying one, it still seems healthy. But since it has not, technically, developed to the stage when it can be called a baby yet, it really is too soon to tell his condition."

"So it really is a he?"

Edogawa chuckled. "Oh, no, no. But I really dislike calling your child an ' _it_ ' and since you keep using the male pronoun, I went with that." she told them. "It's also too soon to tell the gender, but I see you already have a preference."

"Well, no, not exactly. I guess since we're both guys too and surrounded by males almost twenty-four-seven, it's an instinct." Taira said, a little flustered. "But I honestly couldn't care less, Male, Female. I don't mind that we keep it a surprise and wait for the baby to arrive. As long as the child's healthy and Saku's, I'm happy."

Saku blushed but couldn't help but laugh. "Well whose else could it be?" He wrapped his arms around the blond, gently as to not squeeze his stomach to hard. "You're not about to tell me that you're seeing other men, are you?"

" **Baka** " Taira scowled. "you think I'm a cheater who sleeps with just about anyone?"

Saku blinked, not expecting the snappy attitude. "Uh, no, I was just teasing."

"That's not the kind of tease I wanna hear from you, Yuji." Taira grunted, crossing his arms. "I keep saying not all omegas are around just for a fuck."

Edogawa cleared her throat to get their attention once more. "If I may ask, though." Edogawa spoke up. "You may decide not to answer, but I am curious, how many times have you two had intercourse with each other?"

Both Saku and Taira turned bright red. Even though they knew she was probably asking for health or medical reasons, it was till an embarrassing question.

"Er, we've actually only done it once so far..." Saku managed to say. Edogawa's surprise was expected, but not completely for what they thought. She knew that the father of the child was a beta and didn't have the barely controllable libido of an alpha, but they were still both males so frequent sexual frustrations was expected, especially after having a taste of it. "I kinda, er, went a little rough and t-tore uhm... that area so I decided not to try another till I'm more... prepared."

Now Edogawa found that amusing, and a little sweet.

But Taira looked scandalized. "Yuji!" he snapped. "You didn't have to tell her in detail!"

"Huuuh?!" Saku looked surprised. "B-but... No, I'm sure that description was vague enough!"

"Now you're talking back in that way?"

"Talking b... I was just saying. She's a Doctor she might need to know that... And what... What way is that?"

"Oh shut up already!"

"Yoshi, why are you so upset?"

"I'm not upset."

"Uh, no, you clearly are. Is there something I can do?"

"I already told you, shut up."

"Yoshi..."

Saku looked really concerned but he was mostly confused. He also looked like a kicked puppy. The Doctor would be concerned if she didn't know that it was normal and there was no real heated conflict.

 _Hang in there, Sakurai-kun. This is just the beginning..._ Edogawa chuckled behind one hand, already seeing early signs of mood swings. She made a mental note to warn Saku to be extra patient. "But it is rather amazing, though." She cut in before the argument could get worse. "You're a Male beta and omega couple, I've never really heard of a case that such are able to conceived on the first try. So do your best, Taira-san, Sakurai-san."

The two looked at the woman and nodded, Taira forgetting what he was upset about as he held Saku's hand in his. The beta didn't question it and just let it be.

"But Sakurai-san, since you are the father of the child, there is something that I strongly advise you do. Or rather, go back to doing."

"Huh?"

**──────────────────────────────────────────────────**

When Taira and Saku checked out that afternoon, _Beck_ was there to pick them up in their van, originally Taira's van but now used by any of them since the family bonding. They had lunch in a _Sushi_ place, as per Eiji's treat. Although they had a personal request to have the fish for the sushi somewhat cooked to consider the pregnant blond. Both parties brought each other up to speed about their respective discussions. _Beck_ was glad that there was a nice doctor willing to support them. When Ryusuke started to tell them about what they missed, though, Taira started feeling guilty and dejected.

"Oh man, what are we going to do now?" Taira whined. "I know a baby is expensive, and with Saku having to finish his schooling... Ugh, I hate this, I'm burdening you all..."

Ryusuke and Chiba gaped at their usually rational and collected Maternal Head show of weakness, Eiji looked surprised too, Manabu was empathetic, while Yoshito looked on in understanding. Koyuki whimpered and leaned into to the older omega in comfort. Saku mouthed to the surprised alphas ' _Mood swings..._ ' and they understood. The beta went about soothing his omega.

"So Saku has to go back to school, huh? Sucks."

"Well, it would suck more if I didn't. Edogawa-san said that I have to at least finish my High School education so I could be eligible to take care of Yoshi and our pup," Saku suddenly frowned darkly that even Eiji and Yoshito shuddered. "apparently, if I prove to be an inadequate father and family head, social workers could give them both up to a more capable mate, preferably an alpha."

Taira shook his head, burying his face into the crook of Saku's neck. "No... No alphas, I want my beta only... Only Yuji..." he wasn't completely aware that other people were around. As far as he and his hormones are concerned, he only sees Saku.

"Shh, shhh, it's going to be okay. I'm not giving you up, Yoshi."

Ryusuke scowled. He heard of that, it was fairly common in Western countries. While their world is changing, the archaic stigma that omegas are just fuck tools to produce offspring isn't completely gone, meaning they can be taken away and given to a more well-off mate for their safety, since they'd be considered too fragile and incapable of taking care of themselves. While no one here doubts Saku's capability, the fact that he was even younger than Taira with no finished education is enough to raise skepticism.

"Well, we're gonna make sure they'll see Saku more than adequate. He's fucking worthy, damn it!" Chiba scowled, ready to fight any social workers that says otherwise. "He's getting that education!"

Ryusuke couldn't help but snort, hearing his fellow alpha talking about education seriously. But it wasn't like he didn't share the sentiments.

"Thanks guys. I'm planning home school, though. I mean, I know you guys will always be there to help watch out for Yoshi, but I don't want to be away for far too long. At least that way, I'd still be around. Plus, it will be easier to compromise whenever we have to attend those seminars the Edogawa-san told us about." Saku held his mate closer to him. "provided I figure out how to make it work." he sighed, knowing that it'll be much more expensive than going back to his public high school

Ryusuke smiled. "You don't have to worry, Ikeda is still giving us a chance after all with this project. So we'll be able keep up the funds." he finally told them. "as long as you two are up for—"

"Baka!" It was a good thing they got a private booth, so no one else really saw Taira throwing his glass of water right on the Alpha's face. "Say that first next time!"

Ryusuke sputtered, the water was really cold and the air condition made it even colder. Koyuki panicked, grabbing a lot of tissues and going about wiping his face before he had time to think of why he was doing it. The blush helped in warming up the alpha faster. Saku looked apologetic as he tried getting the omega to calm down again. Edogawa warned him about how bad an omega can act up in the process of pregnancy, he just wished it happened gradually for him to have time to get used to it.

"So," Taira sighed once he calmed down once again. "how do we keep this project?"

Yoshito went on to explain that. "Before the still considered on-hold concert, we'll have the test run. Except this time, it's not just to see how well we get the word out that we'll be having a tour. But we have to get it out, to a lot of people as much as possible. Aside from our already made songs from before and that collaboration we've been rehearsing for the passed weeks, both our bands need to come up with a new song that will be our first Singles under this Label." He rubbed the back of his head. "this is the hard part, though. Our bands are suppose to have Singles Sales for about 250,000 each."

"Since Ikeda has connections to have it reached out to America, a combination of our sales would make a Platinum since our Sales would be considered as one due to the nature of our contract," Eiji interjected. "although it's basically a half-platinum, which is how Ikeda-san wants to put it."

Ryusuke finally finished. "Yeah, so after that concert the Singles will be released, in Japan on the first week and America the next. If we pull up those Sales numbers, then we get to keep the Label because we'd have proved the board that we deserve keeping it." he suddenly looked determined. "In short, this next Beck song has to be a Dying Breed ' _50cent wisdom_ ' worthy Single."

"What's with the _Dying Breed_ reference?" Eiji actually laughed. "We'll be awesome on our own. Let's do this!"

"Yeah!"

**──────────────────────────────────────────────────**

It wasn't easy. The bands, most especially _Beck_ , had to juggle several schedules. Not that Taira and Saku had to go see Dr. Edogawa everyday, but they had to be watchful. They both bought some pregnancy books and even parental books. Taira was worried he wouldn't make a good mother.

"Of course you'll make a good mother. How you take care of Koyuki is proof of that."

"Koyuki is a full-grown boy. He may be the baby of the pack but it's different taking care of him to an actual baby."

"So I act like a baby?"

"Ah, no, well... He just means you are the youngest..."

"Well... I do seem unreliable and in need of being taken care of, huh..."

Ryusuke and Saku shared concerned looks. Koyuki had always been sensitive, so him adjusting to omega genes made it worse. Even though he was clearly getting used to it now than before, Taira's pregnancy mood swings easily affected him as well.

"You're very reliable, Koyuki." Ryusuke assured him. "I mean, Taira is more comforted by the fact that he's not the only omega around."

Koyuki seemed to take the bait. Saku got to console his own mate by asking the blond to teach him how to cook their favorite meals, proving his reliability as a home maker. Chiba just watched on and thought that maybe it wasn't so bad being single or having no one to pin after.

They usually had rehearsal after noon and up until night. Saku had to be more wary. While they told Taira to tell them when he needed to take a rest, the omega's sense of pride usually made him not speak up. When they weren't busy rehearsing, Saku was looking up Home school programs that he can enroll in after they solidify their Label contract more. Ryusuke stressed himself over composing their new song for the first Single. They're not really allowed to ask help from the Label's songwriters on this one. It has to be solely their own. Koyuki had offered to help out, too. And Ryusuke accepted, since it meant getting more time with him, too. But maybe it also made it more distracting. He finally decided to try finishing on his own when he found out that Eiji had done _Recall_ 's song on his own.

"It's an alpha thing, I guess." Ryusuke told the younger boy, who was worrying that he wasn't much help. "If omega's have their pride, an alpha's is just as worse. Just think of it as a good-natured rivalry between me and Eiji. It's not that you're unhelpful. Thanks to you, I at least got part of the melody down."

Koyuki smiled a bit, glad that he was of some help.

But apparently, Eiji got to finish his song faster since he already had one in his reserve that he started writing but haven't finished since it wasn't up to par with Ran's standards. Inspired by getting together with Manabu, he got to finish it.

And that gave Ryusuke an idea.

"Huh?" Eiji blinked, a little surprise. "You want a day off for tomorrow, too? It's a Day off today, what weren't you able to do?" He never expected Ryusuke would want to take it easy as far as band matters are concerned.

Ryusuke shrugged. "Koyuki went to scoop up some Home school programs since Saku and Taira had a schedule check up with Edogawa." He told the red head. "I want to go on another date with him."

"Uh, dude, is now really the time for that?"

Ryusuke nodded. "I need to finish my song. And I wanted to have it to be something Koyuki could sing. You finished yours with a little inspiration from Manabu." He said. "I figured a date is what I need."

Eiji didn't know whether to laugh or punch the guy. Manabu would definitely slap the alpha for his Ulterior motive. But he couldn't say he was too shocked. Ryusuke's song compositions had always been in the rough side that Chiba could sing them. Of course for a more soulful singer as Koyuki, it needed a softer touch. And Ryusuke needed more of that. He decided to humor him.

"Fine," Eiji sighed. "Manabu's been bugging me about more intimate time, and apparently he didn't want it just limited to the bedroom."

Ryusuke scrunched up his nose. "I really don't want to hear about what you guys do in private."

"And I didn't want to hear about your pinning, but here we are." Eiji shot back. "So shut up."

Chagrined, knowing he had a point, Ryusuke did just that.

**──────────────────────────────────────────────────**

Koyuki knew that the alpha wanted to compose their Single on his own, but he couldn't help but try and do more contribution to it. He didn't know why, but he wanted to prove himself even more to the Alpha, and he thought getting this song done would be the best way. So he tried playing with some of the chords Ryusuke already plotted out but with a few improvisations. And maybe leave the score sheet accidentally lying around where the alpha can notice it.

" _The voice..._ uh, no. Again. _The voice I..._ Hm, maybe I should change it to a G then to a D... Okay, once more... _You're—_ "

There was a knock to the door, and Saku came in. "Hey Koyuki, thanks for scouting the places of the programs I looked up. Here, I got you some Stir-fry take out." he smiled, coming to sit down beside his friend.

"Ah, it was no problem. You didn't have to but thanks." Koyuki smiled, pushing the drafts and scratches to the side. He made the _Telecaster_ lean against his bed as he took Saku's offering. He gave him a flyer. "I really think this place is a good one, has a good reputation and it's not as expensive as the others at least."

Saku browsed through the flyer, but he also noticed the scratches of song lyrics cluttered on the floor. "So you're still helping Ryusuke with the new song?" he asked.

"Er, not exactly. I didn't tell him I'm still keeping at it," Koyuki rubbed the back of his head. "I want to impress him, so I'm working hard on it."

Saku looked thoughtful. He chose his words carefully. "Koyuki, can I ask you something a little personal?"

"Huh?" Koyuki blinked at the sudden question. "Uhm, sure. Go ahead."

Saku went on. "As an alpha, how do you see Ryusuke?"

"Uhm, well, there are times that he still scares me like other alphas do." The young omega replied. "But I really trust him, I think he's doing his best as our _Head Alpha_."

Saku smiled dryly, although he was glad that his friend really does trust him, it wasn't the question. Plus, that part was obvious. "No, what I meant is" he sighed, figuring he had no choice but to say it point blank. "do you see him as a possible mate?"

Koyuki's face exploded red, suddenly flustered. Even if this was Saku it was still embarrassing. "D-don't be silly! He's... He's just a friend, and really awesome. So I just want to impress him, that's all." he insisted.

"Koyuki, I asked that question because I think you do feel something for him and I just want to make sure it's not just because of your omega genes. Think about it, do you want to please Ryusuke himself or the alpha in him?" Saku told him.

Koyuki frowned, looking thoughtful. He did like Ryusuke a whole lot, even more so than he does with most people. But he wasn't sure about attraction. He had been in love with Maho, after all. And he did used to prefer girls till presenting as an omega, suddenly making him more open minded about liking guys. Or maybe that was mostly because of Saku liking Taira. Either way, before then, he was never really into guys. If he did like Ryusuke, would it just be because he had some semblance to Maho?

Koyuki shook his head. _No, even if they do look alike and have the same strong personality, I can't really call them similar._

But if he was suddenly attracted to the _Head Alpha_ , was it just the omega in him? Or did he like Ryusuke as he is and as himself? He thought about Saku and Taira, how they act towards one another, finding that he actually wouldn't mind it at all if he had that same thing with Ryusuke. Especially after that kiss.

Koyuki suddenly blushed. _Does that I mean I actually like him_?

"You don't have to give me an answer," Saku interrupted him from his thoughts suddenly. "you actually don't even need to have an answer for now. But just... consider it, okay? Don't overthink it, just be open to the possibility. Okay?"

Suddenly, Ryusuke came inside the room. He blinked when he saw the beta. "Oh. Sorry, I thought Koyuki was alone. Are you guys busy talking?"

"Actually, I was just leaving." Saku looked at Koyuki who took the chance to shove the papers under his bed. He winked a bit. "See you, Koyuki. Remember what I said." The beta headed out.

Koyuki scowled at his best friend for giving him these thoughts right before Ryusuke came in to talk to him. Granted, it wasn't like he'd known that the alpha would come in, but still.

"Koyuki?" Ryusuke frowned at the expression. "Sorry if I interrupted something. I'll call Saku back, we can talk later."

Koyuki blinked and reacted fast, grabbing Ryusuke's hand. "Ah, no! It's okay." he spoke a little louder. "Saku was just being really annoying just now!"

"It's a best friend's right, Koyuki!" The beta called back with some mirth in his voice.

Ryusuke chuckled a little bit. "You might want to keep it down when you talk smack about Saku, Koyuki." he smirked. "Taira's mood swings are unpredictable. He might even snap at you if you talk about his mate like that."

Koyuki suddenly got worried.

"Hey, I'm just joking. But... I guess there is some truth to it." The alpha shrugged. "Well, I don't think he heard, last I saw of him, he was in the kitchen absorbed in making some kind of peanut butter and pickle sandwich." He scrunched up his nose. "I'm glad I'm not the who's pregnant... or having weird cravings."

Koyuki chuckled wearily. "So," he started. "what is it you wanted to talk about?"

"Well, I was wondering if there's anything you wanted to do tomorrow."

Koyuki blinked, a little confused. "Uhm, well, I know we have rehearsals tomorrow so... As for wanting to do something, well, sleep?"

"Actually," Ryusuke had to stop his thoughts from imagining another implication for sleep. "I talked to Eiji and asked him for a second day off, I already told Taira about it."

Koyuki widened his eyes. Back then, even during day offs, Ryusuke would work on something band related. He wondered what made him request for another one. Then again, he did mention Taira. "Does Taira need the extra rest?"

"No, nothing like that. But it could help, too." Ryusuke replied. "What I'm really trying to say is I want to have that second date."

Koyuki blushed, Saku's voice echoing back. _Don't overthink it, just be open to the possibility. Okay?_

"Okay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually don't know who owns the van Beck took to Greatful Sound in the Anime but I'm going with Taira since he was the own driving. Anyway, I know this is turning more into a Saku x Taira fic, but trust me, it's necessary. It's not just self-indulgent.


End file.
